Of all the centers the 2026 NFL Draft had to offer, Logan Jones was atop the list at no. 1 if you were to ask ESPN. That makes it pretty easy to see why the Chicago Bears made him the first of their initial two second-round picks.
Come to find out, the Bears weren't the only NFC contender who wanted Jones. In an interview with CHGO, recently, Jones' high school coach Justin Kammrad peeled back the curtain a little bit.
When asked about whether the Bears were involved with Jones in the pre-draft process or if he had any inkling that Chicago would ultimately draft him, Kammrad said this:
"No. It was sort of a shock for all of us. That wasn't one of the teams that reached out. We had an organization come in and they sent in two guys, and sat myself and another coach down for two hours and questioned us. So we thought it was going to be them."
After Kammrad's initial response, he was asked if it was the Buffalo Bills who met with them. But, his answer would reveal just how aggressive another NFC contender has had a habit of being.
The L.A. Rams give the Chicago Bears validation for drafting Logan Jones where they did
It wasn't the Bills, of course.
"It was the Rams," he confirmed.
If you go back and look at the draft order, the Rams picked just four spots after the Bears did when they took Jones at pick no. 57 overall. It isn't crazy to think that the Rams were hoping to land Jones at that spot, only to see the Bears take him right from beneath their noses.
It's even more believable that the Rams desperately wanted him when you consider Los Angeles pivoted to take tight end Max Klare out of Ohio State. The Rams clearly have a priority in place to protect Matthew Stafford and bolster their run blocking.
Why else would they continue drafting tight ends? Klare just so happens to offer upside at his position, but Les Snead and Sean McVay love those big packages while also having protection at the forefront of their minds.
Had Jones been available at pick 61, he might be in Los Angeles right about now. Instead, the Bears took him when they had the chance.
Now that the Rams were interested in Jones, as well, it gives everyone who doubted the pick or called it a "reach," yet another reason to calm down. Outlets all have their pre-draft rankings, narratives, and assumptions already made. But time will always tell the truth.
Read more: Former Bears Pro Bowler reveals biggest fear for Chicago (and why it’s good)
And in this instance, the truth is that the Bears were able to secure a great player, at a position of need, before another conference contender took him instead.
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