Bears stick to offense on Day 2 of the NFL draft, selecting center, tight end, receiver
The Chicago Bears stuck to offense on the second day of the 2026 NFL draft.
The Bears boosted their offensive line to start the second round on Friday by selecting Iowa center Logan Jones with the No. 57 overall pick. They used their first third-round pick to select Stanford tight end Sam Roush at No. 69 after trading down from No. 60.
They ended the day by selecting LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas at No. 89.
Jones was considered one of the top centers heading into the draft and will bring plenty of experience after starting at center for the Hawkeyes for the past four seasons. He originally joined Iowa as a defensive tackle before the coaching staff converted him to a center because of his large frame.
Over four seasons Jones started 50 games for Iowa at center. As a senior last season, Jones earned plenty of honors for his play. He was named a first-team AP All-American, first-team All-Big Ten and won the Rimington Trophy, the award for the nation’s top center.
At 6-foot-2⅞, 299 pounds and with a 30¾-inch arm length, Jones is considered a bit undersized for an NFL center. But Jones is considered ready to compete in the NFL with pro-level technique.
The Bears addressed the center position after they thought they found their long-term answer last season when they signed Drew Dalman. But Chicago decided to bring in a center after Dalman suddenly retired this offseason and Poles traded for Garrett Bradbury.
Center has been an important spot on the offensive line for Bears head coach Ben Johnson. The center is essential to helping quarterback Caleb Williams see what defenses are presenting him. It’s not a surprise that the Bears used a high pick to select their center of the future.
Jones could compete with Bradbury for a starting spot during training camp. But the Bears could decide to let Jones learn under the veteran.
The Bears originally had two second-round picks heading into Friday. But they traded out of No. 60 with the Tennessee Titans. The Bears got the No. 69 and No. 144 picks.
Roush spent four seasons at Stanford, playing in 48 games. He had career highs with the Cardinal during his senior season last year, catching 49 passes for 454 yards and two touchdowns. Roush was named to the all-ACC second team.
At 6-foot-6, 267 pounds, Roush has good size to make a difference both as a blocker and a receiver. He is expected to be a “Y” tight end who will mostly block in the NFL.
The move was a bit of a surprise since tight end wasn’t expected to be a need for the team heading into the draft. Chicago used the No. 10 overall pick to select Colston Loveland last year. The Bears also have Cole Kmet, who fit in well as a blocking tight end to create a dynamic duo with Loveland last season.
Kmet will still have two years left of his contract and is expected to have a $7.775 million salary cap hit this season. According to Over the Cap, Kmet would have a dead cap hit of just under $5.5 million if the Bears chose to cut him after June 1.
Thomas played in 48 games over four seasons in college. He started his career at Mississippi State for two seasons before transferring to LSU for the last two seasons.
Thomas put up some of his best numbers of his career with LSU during his senior season. He had career highs of 41 receptions and four touchdowns with the Tigers last season to go along with 488 receiving yards.
Aside from his role as a wide receiver, Thomas made an impact as a returner. He returned 60 punts over four seasons averaging 9.7 yards per return and 35 kicks averaging 27.2 yards per return. Thomas returned two kickoffs for a touchdown and one punt for a touchdown.
Adding Thomas to the room will give Bears head coach Ben Johnson more speed and give quarterback Caleb Williams a quick deep threat that the team didn’t have. Thomas ran the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds at the NFL scouting combine at the end of February and he had 36-inch vertical jump.
The selection came as a surprise given what the Bears have in the wide receiver room and the remaining needs the Bears still need to address. Top wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are both set to return while Chicago signed Kalif Raymond in free agency.