Tag: C

  • RD 4-7 Draft ’26

    RD 4-7 Draft ’26

    Round 2, Pick 57:Logan Jones, C, Iowa
    Pro Comparison: Seth McLaughlin
    Summary
    Logan Jones anchored Iowa’s Joe Moore Award–winning offensive line and won the Rimington Trophy after logging more than 2,800 snaps as a four-year starter. He shows good athletic traits and excellent consistency in Iowa’s zone-blocking system. Jones likely projects as a center only at the next level and lacks the ideal size and length the NFL typically covets, despite his stellar college career. He’s a savvy, intelligent player who could thrive in a zone or pin-and-pull scheme.

    About
    2025: Unanimous All-American
    2025: Rimington Trophy winner (nation’s top C)
    Strengths
    Excellent feet and athleticism to reach frontside defenders and cut off backside pursuit; smooth mover in space and to the second level.
    Good initial strike in pass protection with the footwork to mirror, clamp and stone defenders on counters.
    High football IQ, consistently setting protections, identifying the Mike and adjusting the point when needed.
    Weaknesses
    Struggles to move head-up defensive linemen in the run game and anchor consistently against power in pass protection.
    Lacks the ideal size and length [30″ arms] NFL teams prefer; combine measurements will be closely scrutinized.
    Smaller pass-protection sample in a run-heavy offense and has shown occasional issues picking up games and exotic blitzes.
    Combine Data
    40-yard dash: 4.90 seconds [Sub 5].
    Vertical jump: 32 inches
    20-yard shuttle run: 4.59 seconds
    Broad jump: 9 feet, 2 inches
    3-cone drill: 7.46 seconds

    Butch Take: I don’t mind this one [despite the Trex factor]. Bradbury was never the long-term answer and Logan Jones may actually supplant him. Iowa has a fantastic record with Oline and TEs. Seems a bit undersized, but BJ/Rouschar covet nimble Cs, and Jones can make blocks others can’t. It should be noted that other IOL/Cs like Slaughter, Hecht, Zuhn and Lew were frequently graded more highly, but hey, THEY didn’t win the Rimington, and I never trust ‘converted’ Cs. Prefer them to be true centers, and Jones is that. C is also notoriously difficult to judge, so I’m going to have to trust BJ knows WTF he’s doing.


    Round 3, Pick 69 (via Rams): Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
    Pro Comparison: Jack Doyle
    Summary
    Sam Roush is a sturdy, reliable tight end who excels as a traditional inline blocker and middle-of-the-field target. A high-achieving student-athlete at Stanford, he has a large catch radius and the strength to run through defenders in the open field. While he may not be the fastest player, his consistent blocking and ability to shield defenders make him a valuable asset in a balanced offense.

    About
    Career: 119 receptions, 1,201 receiving yards, 4 receiving TD
    Family: Two uncles and grandfather played in NFL
    Strengths
    Effective inline blocker who plays bigger than his 250-pound frame.
    Natural hands catcher with a large, reliable catch radius.
    Strong long-strider capable of running through arm tackles in space.
    Weaknesses
    Lacks high-end twitch or explosiveness of elite tight ends.
    Can struggle to create consistent separation against tight man coverage.
    Occasional losses early in reps against highly active edge rushers.
    Combine Data
    40-yard dash: 4.70 seconds
    Bench press: 25 reps
    Vertical jump: 38.5 inches
    20-yard shuttle run: 4.37 seconds
    Broad jump: 10 feet, 6 inches
    3-cone drill: 7.08 seconds

    Butch Take: must admit, this befuddled me. Poles just restructured Kmet. Loveland is obviously TE1, so drafting TE3 at 69 makes lil sense. I can only conclude BJ wanted to make up for Smythe’s 25% snaps [though I read Bears only lined up 8% in 13 personnel. Need to confirm]. Nevertheless, T3 ain’t going to stop Jahmyr Gibbs or sack Jordan Love.

    Round 3, Pick 89: Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU
    Pro Comparison: Rashid Shaheed
    Summary
    Zavion Thomas is an explosive, versatile playmaker who can line up across the formation or contribute as a dangerous return specialist. He relies on elite short-area quickness and precise footwork to create instant separation against man coverage. While he lacks the size to dominate in jump-ball situations, his ability to reach top speed quickly makes him a constant big-play threat in space.

    About
    2025: 41 receptions, 488 receiving yards, 4 receiving TD
    Career: 1,213 receiving yards, 7 receiving TD, 1 rushing TD, 3 return TD
    Strengths
    Reaches top speed in two steps with elite acceleration.
    Precise route runner with twitchy movement out of breaks.
    Dangerous open-field runner with the ability to stack defenders vertically.
    Weaknesses
    Struggles to win contested-catch battles against larger defenders.
    Lacks the size and play strength to be an effective blocker.
    Difficulty separating on deep routes against physical cornerbacks.
    Combine Data
    40-yard dash: 4.28 seconds
    Vertical jump: 36 inches

    Butch Take: Another offensive weapon! [pun intended]. Honestly, my first reaction? “Great, Velus/Cohen 2.0”
    An apologist can argue that we needed a true ‘gadget’ threat. Someone who can take a jet sweep or return to the house, or back off the safeties with 4.28 ludicrous speed. Heck, some comp him to Tyreek Hill, and he’s somehow related to Sweetness.

    I guess Bears can score 50 a game.

    OT. Sat, RDs 4-7

    Jacob Infante@jacobinfante24
    ·28m
    #Bears GM Poles drafting in RD 3:

    • Velus Jones Jr.
    • Zacch Pickens
    • Kiran Amegadjie
    • Sam Roush
    • Zavion Thomas

    Not even gonna bother with best available. GMs usually go off the rails by RD 4 [some earlier, apparently].

    Only ones I maybe want:

    Edge, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State

    DL Gracen Halton, Oklahoma

    DT Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss

    So Poles will likely draft a safety, scatback and water boy.