The Chicago Bears were heavily criticized for the three offensive selections head coach Ben Johnson made on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, but he’s thought process behind each selection should ease all concerns.
The Chicago Bears got a lot of heat on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft when head coach Ben Johnson added three new players to his offense in center Logan Jones (57th overall), tight end Sam Roush (69th overall), and wide receiver Zavion Thomas (89th overall).
The reason those selections were viewed so negatively is due to the three players’ ranking on the “consensus” draft board compiled by various top draft analysts . Jones was ranked 97th, Roush was ranked 110th, and Thomas was ranked 275th.
Essentially, the Bears significantly “reached” on all three of those players. Johnson obviously doesn’t view it that way.
“What is most appealing to us, might not be most appealing to the next guy,” Johnson told reporters Saturday night. “We want to find guys that help complement the skillsets. The non-negotiable is being the type of players that we want to [have] so that we can bring the vision of the football to life.”
Let’s start with Logan Jones, the former Iowa center. Jones was the top center selected off the board in the draft and filled a key long-term need for Chicago after losing Drew Dalman to a sudden retirement and adding a short-team relief in Garrett Bradbury .
Throughout the pre-draft process, the Bears showed interest in multiple top center prospects. Jones was the one the team zeroed in on as their ideal option.
“We felt convicted as a staff, coaching staff and personnel side, that he was our guy,” Johnson said of Jones. “The mental is top notch. We saw all the traits we're looking for, whether it's the run game or pass pro. And we brought him in for a Top-30 and I think that's when it really solidified it for us that, yeah, he’s got the makeup. The guys at Iowa were raving about him. And then just the next level as far as football IQ as well. I think none of us have any qualms that he'll be able to download the information. Once again, that's just another spot where we'll have high level competition.”
After the Bears selected Jones, Florida center Jake Slaughter went six picks later. Chicago felt like Jones was the top-ranked center on their board. They made sure they landed him based on how the board looked when they were on the clock. Simple as that.
As for Sam Roush, a lot of people were skeptical about why the Bears could use such a high pick on another tight end after already having Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland . The truth is, Johnson’s offense values having multiple tight ends to run 12 and 13 personnel. After losing Durham Smythe , the Bears needed a TE3 to be an extra blocker and a weapon in the passing game.
“He is a finisher through the whistle,” Johnson praised of Roush. “I think that showed up on a consistent basis. It didn’t matter who he was blocking. He consistently finished through the whistle each and every play. You always love it when you take a player and you get a text message from somebody – one of his coaches at Stanford – said he will crush himself to do whatever he can to help the football team. It just verifies what you already thought about the player. I feel good about that one.”
NFL teams are starting to follow a similar trend. In the second-round, four different tight ends came off the board followed by three more in the third-round after the Bears selected Roush. Johnson is excited about what he brings as a blocker. And he adds a much more athletic element compared to what the team had with Smythe in 2025.
Chicago made one of the biggest reaches in the entire draft by selecting Zavion Thomas well above consensus . Given Poles’ third-round hit rate and the scars from the failed Velus Jones Jr. experiment, Bears fans had every right to question this decision.
However, it’s clear this is a very different situation and the reason why is because of Ben Johnson. Thomas caught the eye of Johnson in the pre-draft process, even beyond having the second-fastest 40-yard-dash time at the NFL Combine.
“He’s got a unique skillset, just in terms of, he’s a 4.2 guy,” Johnson said of Thomas. “Those guys don’t grow on trees. It’s easy to look at when it flashes up and everyone sees it, but yet when you turn on the tape, it’s more than just being able to run deep routes. The versatility that he showed – both at Mississippi and LSU – from the backfield, whether it’s running routes, or getting handoffs, and then the returning aspect of it. I think it all adds up. Coach Randle El, myself, Press Taylor, we all have a vision of how this guy could really help us… He’s a guy that we feel can be a really key component of what we want to do.”
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden even called Thomas one of the sleepers in the draft after hearing what the projection was expected to be. Was it a reach? Sure, maybe. But, Johnson has a plan for this guy who brings a unique skillset the Bears didn’t have before. I trust his judgement and I’m excited to see how he schemes Thomas up on offense.
