Given the Chicago Bears' current roster and needs, the decision to take Zavion Thomas in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft was a highly polarizing one. It didn't have anything to do with him, though, as he's clearly a potential sleeper, but they could've used that to address the defensive line.
Regardless, Thomas might not need much time to silence the doubters. The Bears seemed to be more than stacked in the pass-catching department, but the rookie out of LSU has already turned some heads in the building.
According to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, the Bears might slide the rookie right next to Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, giving him WR3 duties right out of the gate. With D.J. Moore no longer in the picture, the job might be his for the taking:
"The Chicago Bears made the bold decision to trade away standout receiver D.J. Moore early this offseason, but they may already have his replacement in third-round rookie Zavion Thomas," wrote Knox. "The LSU product drew some pre-draft buzz with a 4.28-second 40-yard dash. However, he'll need to add some polish to his game to be more than just a deep-threat novelty in Chicago. So far, his progress is encouraging."
Zavion Thomas can be the Bears' next star
Odunze has looked the part more often than not, but there are some legitimate concerns about lingering foot issues. That leaves Burden and TE Colston Loveland as the strongest candidates to lea the Bears in receiving yards next season.
That said, Thomas might not be like the average rookie. Head coach Ben Johnson took things slowly with Loveland and Burden last season, but this report shows he might take a different approach with the third-rounder out of LSU.
At first, it seemed that he was going to be limited to a special teams role. He scored three return touchdowns (2 kickoff returns and one punt return) and posted a 4.28-second 40-yard dash time. He's also a true YAC specialist, averaging 6.3 yards after the reception in his final season in college.
However, that might not be the case. He's not the tallest guy with the biggest wingspan, so he might not be able to play outside in the pros as much as he did in college, but his sturdy frame, physicality, and ability to find gaps in the defense might help him do some damage out of the slot.
He can also take Moore's role as a gadget player in jet sweeps and designed runs. He's kind of built like a running back, and he'd give them a different look and more acceleration than both Swift and Monangai.
It's always hard to tell with rookies, and most guys look great in OTAs when defenses aren't basically allowed to do anything. But if his arrow keeps trending up, the Bears may have found another true gem for their explosive offense.
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