The Chicago Bears showed last year that they won’t bend to the expectations of media and fans when it came to the draft. They would stick to their board, which might sometimes involve going with players and positions that people might not expect. That was the case in the 3rd round this year. It started when they took Stanford tight end Sam Roush 69th overall, addressing a position that didn’t really need much help. Yet the bigger surprise awaited at the 89th pick when they grabbed LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas, who many experts saw as a 6th or 7th round prospect at best.
Head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles didn’t flinch when asked about it. They stated that what they saw on tape was a highly explosive player with great return ability who had room to grow as a wide receiver. His sheer versatility made him a rare potential chess piece that could give defenses problems. In case people aren’t sure about such conviction, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune hammered it home. Apparently, Johnson was already drawing up plays with Thomas in mind before the Bears even drafted him last month.
“You look next to you and (Ben) is sketching out plays,” Poles said. “So yeah, when you go through that, and he can see it, and there’s a vision for it, you have confidence.
“Obviously, the player has to do his part, and there’s development and things like that. It’s not (going to happen) overnight. But any time there’s clarity on how we’re going to use players, (it’s exciting).”
Zavion Thomas got Johnson’s creative juices flowing.
Poles learned early on that this was always a good sign. If the head coach reacted with certain triggers, it meant the scouts were onto something. The fact that Johnson couldn’t even wait for the pick to go in before he started brainstorming ways to use the young receiver is telling. That is the first clue that we may see the rookie on the field more often than initially assumed. Johnson did say that guys with 4.28 speed are rare. Getting the ball in the hands of somebody that fast is rarely a bad thing.
We already know the Bears’ head coach has a certain knack for crafting ways to get receivers in space. The one issue is that most of their guys weren’t explosive enough to take full advantage of it. That won’t be the case this year. Thomas is the type of player who can turn a six-yard slant into a 60-yard touchdown. The trick, at least early in his career, will be finding ways to give him free releases without being crowded by aggressive cornerbacks. For a mad scientist like Johnson, that should be no obstacle.
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Expect Thomas to get the Kalif Raymond treatment.
While the veteran receiver is actually on the roster, one can expect Johnson to treat the rookie similarly to how he treated Raymond in Detroit. In 2022, he was targeted 64 times for 616 yards while also getting seven carries for 36 yards. Zavion Thomas will be moved around the field frequently, hunting for matchups. We already know this head coach isn’t afraid to craft all sorts of gadget plays. We saw that last year with Moore. Now he has somebody considerably faster to take advantage of.
All of that said, don’t expect Thomas to get any preferential treatment. Johnson may be excited about all the things he can do with the young receiver, but that won’t happen until the kid proves he’s ready. That means putting in the work during practice and showing the willingness to hone his craft. The Bears don’t seem concerned about that. It will only be a matter of when, not if, he sees the field this season. Perhaps Raymond’s influence could help speed things up.
