A few weeks ago, I wrote about how tight end is a sneaky need for the Green Bay Packers as they begin their offseason. As it so happens, Sam Roush would be a sneaky draft pickup to fill that hole.
While they have a budding superstar in Tucker Kraft (whom they still need to extend), the depth behind him is a major concern, especially considering said superstar is recovering from a major injury.
One of my wishlist items for Brian Gutekunst is to get some more high-end talent at the position. With limited options in free agency and limited cap space, the draft is going to be the best avenue to accomplish that. Stanford’s Roush player in particular catches my eye and would be the perfect complement to Kraft.
However, after Roush’s combine performance, he’s a hot name and might have moved himself out of Green Bay’s range. Coming into the event, he was projected as a mid-round pick, but now finds himself a top-three prospect for many draftniks after putting on a show at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. His official stats for the event were a 4.7 40-yard dash, a 1.61 10-yard split, a 7.03 three-cone, and a 4.37 20-yard shuttle.
Sam Roush is a TE prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.99 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 3 out of 1356 TE from 1987 to 2026.
Pending agility testing, bench tomorrow, splits projected.https://t.co/B8pkSiTU8D pic.twitter.com/v29ITcx9mO
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) February 28, 2026
Those are some impressive movement skills for the 6’5”, 260 lb. man. He followed those numbers up with a 38.5” vertical jump, a 10’6” broad jump, and 25 reps on the bench press. The Packers love their elite athletes, and Roush finds himself among the most athletic in this year’s class at the position. He scored an unofficial 9.99 out of a possible 10 on the RAS scale, which is good for third out of 1,356 tight ends since the system was founded in 1987. Imagine the things Matt LaFleur could do with that type of athletic freak in this offense.
The former four-star recruit from Atlanta played all 48 games during his college career at Stanford and was known much more for his blocking ability than his receiving. He started on special teams, which should appeal to Green Bay as they attempt to fix their special teams again.
Roush turned into an every-game starter later in his career with the Cardinals. He fits the mold of the type of player that Green Bay needs to acquire more of, and would fit perfectly in a room with Kraft. Roush would be another workmanlike, high-end athlete who would be a nightmare for defenses to prepare for.
People have described Roush’s biggest strengths as those of an inline tight end who excels at pass protection, owing to his powerful, physical blocking style. He uses great leverage to move defenders in both the run game and, especially, the passing game. He was also voted a team leader while at Stanford and was lauded by the coaching staff for his high football IQ.
Sam Roush to @ConnorJRogers :
“Of all the aspects of my game, I take the most pride in my physicality & my toughness. I want to be the most physically sound & toughest guy on the field.”
Explains his TE coached showed him Pat Freiermuth tape to emulate for YAC. (Very close to… https://t.co/gk1BgpiNQh pic.twitter.com/QAZg8VIr9W
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) March 1, 2026
He was named a Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award recipient, a prestigious honor recognizing a player’s leadership. The award recognizes the player who demonstrates exceptional leadership, character, and commitment, and honors players who embody the same spirit, leadership, and veteran presence as NFL superstar Jason Witten.
Due to his speed, size, and rare athleticism, Roush projects as someone who can move around the offense with the ability to line up inline, as an H-back, and in the slot. He’s the kind of athletic and versatile tight end the Packers drool over.
The biggest weakness in his game coming into the NFL would be as a receiver. Although he has improved year over year in his last three college seasons – including a career-best 49 catches for 545 yards and two touchdowns in 2025 – there is still room to grow. His career stat line at Stanford was 119 receptions for 1,201 yards and four touchdowns.
Each year, his receptions and yards increased as he was given more responsibility in the offense. From only two receptions for 34 yards as a freshman to 28 and 288 in 2023, 40 and 334 with two touchdowns as a junior. His 2025 season was good for sixth among all FBS tight ends in receiving yards. That’s all with shaky quarterback play. The potential to be a high-level receiver is there.
Experts say he has a well-balanced route tree and can adjust his routes while manipulating defenders in man coverage. He needs to fight through contact more effectively at the point of attack and might struggle against stronger defenders at the pro level. However, he has the speed to pull away from linebackers and the size to out-muscle defensive backs as he gets more comfortable in the NFL game. The video below shows the type of matchup nightmare he can be for smaller defenders.
Sam Roush was a batted ball away from putting this DB on a highlight tape
I’m watching him for the first time and I very much like what I see so far pic.twitter.com/UH3zrHKCM5
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 1, 2026
Before the combine, he had a 6.9 draft grade, which aligns with a role player/part-time contributor, and multiple draft platforms projected him to go in the fourth or fifth round. Only time will tell if his on-field work at the combine will affect that, but that would be a perfect spot for Green Bay to grab him.
Not having a first-round pick muddies the entire draft and forces the Packers to address other, higher-priority needs with their few top-100 picks. If Roush is still there in the fourth or fifth round, the Packers should jump all over him. They may dangle Luke Musgrave as trade bait to move up in the draft and target another tight end who better fits this scheme. With only a year left of control and no tight end currently under contract after this year, they could use Roush to fill out their depth.