Bears take Iowa C Logan Jones, Stanford TE Sam Roush, LSU WR Zavion Thomas on second day of 2026 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears picked three offensive players on the second day of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Iowa center Logan Jones on in the 2nd round, and Stanford tight end Sam Roush and LSU wide receiver and return specialist Zavion Thomas in the 3rd round.
Jones, who turns 25 in October, transitioned from defensive tackle to offensive line in college with great success, winning the Rimington Trophy last year as the top center in the country. A four-year starter for the Hawkeyes, Jones was a 2025 All-American and three-time All-Big Ten selection.
"I still feel like I haven't even played my best football yet, and I haven't figured it out. So it's been a journey," Jones said.
Center was a surprising position of need for the Bears this offseason due to the sudden retirement of Pro Bowler Drew Dalman. While the Bears acquired center Garrett Bradbury from the Patriots in a trade last month, he's only signed through the 2026 season, meaning Jones is likely in line to be their starter in 2027.
The last time they had the No. 57 pick in the draft, the Bears selected Hall of Fame kick returner Devin Hester.
As a bonus for Jones, as the 57th pick in this draft in the home of Heinz, Pittsburgh, he gets a lifetime supply of ketchup.
After picking Jones, the Bears traded the No. 60 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans for a 3rd round pick (No. 69 overall) and a 5th round pick (No. 144 overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft.
A bit surprisingly, the Bears then used the No. 69 pick on Roush, despite already having Colton Loveland and Cole Kmet at tight end. Roush is considered one of the best blocking tight ends in the draft, and the Bears now arguably have the best run-blocking trio of tight ends in the NFL.
"I'm super fired up to be part of what is an incredible tight end room. Those are guys that I can learn from, guys that have been in the league," Roush said. "I bring a physical presence. You know, football's in my blood, and that's a big part of who I am."
The 6-foot-6, 267-pound tight end was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2025, with 49 receptions (tied for 7th among FBS tight ends) for 545 yards (10th among FBS tight ends) and two touchdowns. He had 119 receptions for 1,201 yards and four touchdowns in 48 games in four years at Stanford.
The second of the Bears' two 3rd round picks, Thomas gives the Bears blazing speed at wide receiver and in the return game. Thomas ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash of any offensive player at the Combine, at 4.28 seconds.
He played for two seasons at Mississippi State before finishing his college career with two seasons at LSU. He had 106 catches for 1,213 yards in 48 games in his collegiate career.
In his freshman season at Mississippi State, he was an All-American punt returner, finishing 2022 tied for fourth in the FBS with 13.5 yards per punt return. In his first season with LSU in 2024, he was the third-team All-SEC kick returner, ranking second in the FBS with 699 combined return yards, and 10th with 26.4 yards per kick return.
In the 1st round on Thursday, the Bears selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick.
The Bears finished the 2025 season with an 11-6 record to take the NFC North title, and beat the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round of the playoffs before falling to the L.A. Rams in the divisional round.
Here are the Bears' remaining picks in the 2026 NFL Draft:
- 4th Round (#129 overall) from L.A. Rams
- 5th Round (#144 overall) from Titans
- 7th Round (#239 overall) from Philadelphia Eagles via Browns
- 7th Round (#241 overall)