What to Know About Stanford's Sam Roush

Sam Roush was born in Atlanta and went to college at Stanford, also known as Tight End U. But his full story is a lot more interesting. In between Atlanta and Palo Alto, he made stops across three continents, including Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

In his time in Indonesia, he played rugby for the Jakarta Komodo Rugby Club, which is a unique trait that could help him to stand out among this year's draft class.

Football also runs in his blood. His father, Luke, played college football at Duke, while his grandfather, Phil Olsen, played for the Los Angeles Rams 1971 to 1974 and Denver Broncos 1975 to 1976. Roush's great uncle is Pro Football Hall of Famer, Merlin Olsen, who was a Pro Bowler every year from 1962-1975 with the Rams.

Suffice it to say, Roush's travels, lineage and his stop at Stanford where tight ends are developed, set him up nicely for success in the NFL.

Stock up since the combine

While Sam Roush was certainly on draft boards in his time at Stanford, it was always a little tricky to figure out what his true talent level was with an offense that has struggled to move the ball consistently, along with hit-or-miss quarterback play and an iffy offensive line, which led to Roush blocking a decent amount.

On the bright side, his blocking is now a standout trait for him, and gives him a nice floor to work with as he adjusts to the NFL.

At the Combine, he posted a 38.5-inch vertical, a 10-foot-6 broad jump, and a 7.08-second three-cone drill, which all pumped up his athleticism score to an 88. He has more to offer than originally thought, and that is what is boosting his draft stock heading into Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

Stats at Stanford

Roush really began to get utilized more in the Stanford offense during his junior and senior seasons. In his junior year, he hauled in 40 catches for 334 yards and two touchdowns, good for an average of 8.4 yards per catch.

This past season, he was involved more in the offense with Elic Ayomanor now playing with the Tennessee Titans, and Roush grabbed 49 catches for 545 yards and another two touchdowns on the year. He upped his yards per catch to 11.1, partially due to his longest reception on the season being a 69-yarder against Boston College.

While his stat line isn't the most eye-popping collection of numbers you'll see, when you combine those offensive numbers with his blocking ability, then you find yourself with a pretty solid contributor on your hands.

When Roush will be drafted

After Night 1 of the draft and only one tight end, Kenyon Sadiq, going to the New York Jets, Roush could be set up for a day two selection.

ESPN has him slotted as the No. 83 player in the class, which would put him firmly in round three. They also have him as the third-best tight end still available, with Eli Stowers of Vanderbilt and Max Klare of Ohio State in front of him.

ESPN's assessment: "Roush possesses a large frame but lacks a great first step, allowing for defenders to shoot his inside gap. He measured with sub-31-inch arms at the combine, which makes it harder for him to play with inside hands or hold his block at the point of attack. When Roush is able to shoot his hands inside, he has the power and strength to maintain blocks.

"Roush does a good job securing blocks against smaller edge rushers or linebackers. As a receiver, he is a short-to-intermediate threat with a surprising 49 receptions in 2025. He displays average hands, dropping four passes in 2025. Roush has a feel for where to sit in zones and can find green grass."

Teams that need a tight end

The teams that could use a tight end are plentiful, but how antsy they are to secure Roush as early as the third round remains to be seen. Here are the teams to keep an eye on.

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Broncos are a team that he has been linked to at different times throughout this process, while the San Francisco 49ers are another team that could be in the tight end market, searching for a replacement for George Kittle, who is recovering from surgery on his Achilles. His timeline for getting back on the field is still unknown.

Sam Roush may not be a household name just yet, but he has the bloodlines, the backstory and the blocking ability to have a long, productive NFL career.

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