The Chicago Bears traded DJ Moore, but they didn’t leave the cupboard bare. Far from it. The team added another wide receiver in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, LSU’s Zavion Thomas. And according to head coach Ben Johnson, the early returns on that pick look pretty damn good.
Thomas ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. That kind of speed tends to get a coach’s attention. But it’s what Johnson has seen in offseason workouts that has him talking about Thomas as a potential difference-maker this season. Not just a deep threat. A weapon.
“He tends to make a play almost every single day right now that says, OK, if we can harness all of this energy and make sure that we can trust him and he’s going to align where he needs to and run the route the way we need him to, that we really could use him and he could be a big weapon for us this year,” Johnson told ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
That’s a lot of words. But the key part is “every single day.” You don’t hear coaches say that about many rookies. Johnson sounds like a guy who thinks he found a real piece.
Thomas Didn’t Put Up Big Numbers in College. That Might Not Matter.
His college stats won’t blow you away. Over 48 games at Mississippi State and LSU, Thomas caught 106 passes for 1,213 yards and seven touchdowns. His senior year was his best: 41 catches, 488 yards, four scores. Those aren’t elite numbers on paper.
But the Bears didn’t draft him for his college production. They drafted him for that 4.28 40 and the ability to turn a 5-yard slant into a 70-yard touchdown. Johnson clearly sees that potential and wants to see if Thomas can put it all together at the NFL level.
He’ll need to prove he can handle the speed of the pro game, learn the playbook and earn the trust of the quarterback and coaching staff. Johnson’s comments suggest that trust is already building. The Bears believe they’ve got something here. Now it’s about seeing if Thomas can deliver on that promise when the games start counting.
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