The Bears added to their offensive line Friday evening by selecting Iowa's Logan Jones with the 57th pick in the second round of the NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-2, 299-pounder spent six years at Iowa, totaling 52 career games, including 51 starts. As a senior in 2025, Jones started all 13 games as a team captain and was named the best center in college football, earning the Rimington Trophy.

Jones first impressed the Bears with his relentless play style, speed and consistency on tape as well as his fit in their offensive scheme, but he made a lasting impact during his Top 30 visit.

"You can tell just talking to him, he's mature, composed, the football intelligence really stood out," director of player personnel Trey Koziol said. "He's a guy that's commanded the respect of his teammates at Iowa. A captain. A leader. Grown man, pro-ready habits. We talk about all the things you can see on tape - the athleticism, the strength, the scrappy play temperament and all that stuff, but it's really the intangibles, too, that stood out. Really cerebral player."

Jones spoke to reporters virtually Friday and detailed his pre-draft process with the Bears, which began with an informal meeting at the NFL Combine in February. After his visit to Halas Hall, Jones left feeling just as good about the Bears as they did about him.

"Just meeting with everybody, it just felt like home," Jones said. "The people there, it just felt like they truly loved it and being in Chicago. And you look at a place like Chicago, the history there and being able to be a part of that, it still hasn't really set in for me. I just got drafted however long ago, so I'm still trying to get used to it. But man, it truly is a special place, and it starts with the people we have, and I know it's gonna be a great place."

Jones started his collegiate career as a defensive tackle after playing on both the defensive and offensive line at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but transitioned full-time to center before the 2022 season.

In his three years as the Hawkeyes' starting center, Jones steadily rose from Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2023 to Second-Team All-Big Ten in 2024 to First-Team All-Big Ten and unanimous All-American. He credits his teammates and "the way they showed up in the building" for his senior year success and attributed his Rimington Trophy to the entire offensive line.

"It was very humbling those first couple years, for sure, especially as an offensive line group," Jones said. "We weren't very good, but that class, we stuck together and worked, and it just started with the leadership in that room and I was just so grateful for coach (George) Barnett, for sure, my offensive line coach at Iowa.

"It took some time and, man, I still feel like I haven't even played my best football yet and I haven't figured it out. It's been a journey, but I think the past two years, for sure, is when I realized that if I really wanted this, I've just got to go out there and take it."

Making that transition from defense to offense was also aided by Iowa's long lineage of offensive line talent, ranging from current Raiders center Tyler Lindenbaum to former Raiders and Seahawks guard Robert Galley to former Bear Jay Hilgenberg. Jones noted that many Hawkeyes alumni come back to Iowa City during the offseason, giving him a chance to pick their brains.

Iowa's rich offensive line history was an important layer in the draft process for Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who understands the caliber of player the program continues to develop.

"When you come from a school like Iowa, you're taught the right way, so you understand the communication aspect of it," Poles said. "You're the glue. You're the circuit board of that offensive line and you help the run game. He's been doing that for awhile now. We felt really comfortable with his intelligence and experience to come in and compete."

Jones joins a veteran offensive line that includes fellow center Garrett Bradbury, who the Bears traded for this March. Bradbury brings seven years of NFL experience, having played in and started 105 regular-season games with the Vikings and Patriots.

Jones will be competing for playing time as a rookie, and Koziol believes that healthy competition will beneficial for everyone.

"It's adding competition in the room, and I think that's the goal with all the picks that we have here," Koziol said. "I don't know how things are going to shake out, but I know that Ben and [offensive line coach] Dan [Roushar] are really excited to have him. I think in the offensive line room, I remember sitting here talking to you guys with Ozzy [Trapilo] last year. You can't have enough offensive linemen, right? The more competition you can add to the room, especially with a guy that has a lot of experience under his belt, I just think it adds a lot of versatility. We'll see how things shake out when we get to camp."