Since Ryan Poles became the Chicago Bears’ general manager in 2022, he has selected five players in the third round.
2022: wide receiver/return man Velus Jones Jr. (71))
2023: defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (No. 64)
2024: offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie (No. 75)
2026: tight end Sam Roush (No. 69), wide receiver Zavion Thomas (No. 89)
Only two of those five players are still on the Bears’ roster, with the remaining three being from the 2026 draft class.
Bears' 2026 third round picks can help the team in 2026
Poles has proven that he and his staff don't know how to evaluate talent in the third round. The Bears took a gamble on a 25-year-old rookie when the team selected Jones in the third round. He played in 34 games, catching 12 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown. The team waived him in Oct. 2024.
Pickens played in 26 games over his two seasons with the Bears, finishing with just 39 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass defensed. He was waived during the final round of roster cuts in 2025.
Amegadjie played in just six games, all in his rookie year. The Bears attempted to cross-train him inside at guard last season, but the former Yale product couldn't stay healthy and didn't perform on the field. The Bears released Amagadjie as part of the final roster cutdowns.
It's alarming how each of Poles’ first three third-round draft picks failed to make any impact on the team, but that disappointment could come to an end. After not selecting a player in the third round in 2025, the Bears took Roush and Thomas this year.
Both may not create the biggest impact as rookies, but they at least start their careers with Ben Johnson as their head coach, something the previous Day 2 picks weren't fortunate to have at the start of their respective careers.
Thomas displayed his playmaking ability in the preseason finale against the Titans, catching five passes for 140 yards and one touchdown. Roush had his best practice of the summer in the joint practice against the Titans. Obviously, the rookies will have to do a lot more than peek in August if they want to avoid ending up like their third-round predecessors.
Read more: Ranking every player on Bears 53-man roster from worst to best
With Johnson in charge, Roush and Thomas are already in a far better position to succeed, meaning the Bears can finally get some quality production from their latest top 100 picks, only strengthening the overall depth of the roster.
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