Film Study: New Bears Wr Zavion Thomas A Pure Speed Threat

With the No. 89 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas.

The Bears needed depth at the wide receiver position going into the draft. Teams usually carry six wide receivers on their 53-man roster, and their WR5 and WR6 were J.P. Richardson and Maurice Alexander, respectively. Thomas projects as a competitor for playing time with the likes of Kalif Raymond and Jahdae Walker.

The name of the game with Thomas is speed. With a 4.28 40-yard dash, he had the third-fastest 40-yard dash of any player at the Combine, as well as the second-fastest time for a wide receiver.

Going into Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Bears’ absence of reinforcements in their defensive line is a major concern. The pass rush and run defense were both weakness of their roster is 2025, and they have made very few additions to the defensive line. However, maybe Ryan Poles is confident in young players like Austin Booker and Shemar Turner to improve. Likewise, maybe Poles is confident enough to draft Thomas with a top-90 pick, despite being the consensus No. 326 pick on PFSN’s expert big board.

As I’ve done since 2019, I put together a thread involving my analysis of each Bears draft selection, sharing some clips that highlight their strengths along the way. This year is certainly no different, so here’s my quick-hit evaluation of the Bears selecting Thomas in Round 3.

THE NUMBERS

• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 189 pounds
• RAS: 5.01
• 2025 PFSN WR Impact Score: 77.4 (105th for FBS wide receivers)
• 2025 receptions: 40
• 2025 receiving yards: 493
• 2025 receiving touchdowns: 4
• 2025 drop rate: 4.7%
• Snap allocation: 79.5% of snaps out wide, 18.6% snaps in the slot
• List of accomplishments: Distant relative of Walter Payton