Grading The Pick: Drew Dalman decision continues to haunt the Bears no matter how promising of a player Logan Jones is for Chicago
The Chicago Bears snag their first offensive player in the 2026 NFL Draft by drafting Iowa center Logan Jones with the 57th overall pick in the second-round.
The Chicago Bears went the defensive route as many expected in the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft and to kick off the second-round, head coach Ben Johnson lands the long-term QB of his offensive line in Iowa center Logan Jones.
The Bears did significant work on the incoming center class during the pre-draft process with Day 2 and Day 3 projected players. After the sudden retirement of Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman, Chicago moved quick to acquire veteran center Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots. However, Bradbury will turn 31-years-old this summer and entering into the final year of his current contract.
By drafting Jones, the Bears now have their heir apparent at the center position to sit and learn behind Bradbury in 2026 before taking over the starting job in 2027 between Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson.
Logan Jones is an undersized but hyper-athletic center who fits the Cam Jurgens, Jason Kelce mold at the next level. At 6-2 and sub 300 pounds, teams will have plenty of concerns about him when a defensive coordinator places a 6-5, 330-pound nose tackle head up as a 0-tech, but that’s not Jones’ game.
In an Iowa scheme that plays a ton of zone and develops linemen for the next level, you can see how well Jones moves, and that was backed up at the NFL combine, where he ran a 4.9 with a 1.75 10-yard split and 32” vertical. He’s not the most powerful player, and he will struggle in pass protection against bigger bodies, but his niche is a proven one, and teams that employ zone running schemes will love him.
Rob Gregson
A to Z Sports
Drew Dalman’s retirement set Chicago back in a major way, but the Bears made smart moves to handle the loss
Anytime you lose a 27-year-old Pro Bowl player one year into a three-year deal, it’s going to be a tough loss to overcome. It certainly wasn’t something Chicago was prepared for this offseason considering how important Johnson views the position.
Yet, the Bears have made smart moves to handle the loss, even if it required multiple draft picks, including this second-round selection. With Bradbury, quarterback Caleb Williams has a veteran in front of him before turning the reigns over to Jones, who’s a strong long-term fit in this run scheme. All things considered, Chicago handled a difficult situation very well this offseason.
Grade: B
