Despite an offseason full of defensive-oriented mock draft scenarios, the Chicago Bears surprised pretty much everyone by going with all offensive players on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Not only that, but there were some surprise players picked with those selections, none more shocking than LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas in the third round. Thomas received a 6th-round pre-draft projection from NFL.com, a seventh-round projection from Dane Brugler, and didn't even appear on Daniel Jeremiah's Top 150 prospects list.
The perceived NFL Draft "reach" might soon become an absolute nightmare for division rivals, however, as the vision Ben Johnson laid out for the selection sounds a lot like what he and the Detroit Lions loved so much about Jameson Williams once upon a time.
Ben Johnson's comments prove why Chicago Bears had to have Zavion Thomas
"He has a unique skillset, just in terms of him being a 4.2 (40-yard dash) guy. Those guys don't grow on trees. It's easy to look at because that flashes up and everyone sees it, but yet, when you turn on the tape, it's more than just being able to run deep routes. The versatility that he showed both at Mississippi State and at LSU, from the backfield, whether it's running routes or getting hand-offs.
- Ben Johnson (via The Bears Wire)
The measurables aren't exactly the same, but it's easy to read that commentary on Zavion Thomas from his new head coach and hear him say the exact same things about someone like Jameson Williams when he was coming out of Alabama once upon a time.
Both players have that elite-level speed. Both players have the ability to blow the top off of a defense, but can run routes and get some work out of the backfield. We saw that somewhat sparingly from Williams, but more in Johnson's final year with the team (11 carries) than in any prior year (or since).
With DJ Moore off to the Buffalo Bills in a trade, the Bears have done a little bit of a reset at the receiver position. They're giving players like Rome Odunze and Luther Burden the chance to really take over the lion's share of the work in the passing game at receiver, but it's not difficult to see how they could use someone like Thomas in a similar role to what Jameson Williams plays in Detroit.
And if Thomas is anything like Williams has been for the Lions for the Bears, it's bad news for the Division. The Lions are 12-6 in NFC North games Williams has played, and he's got 912 receiving yards and six touchdowns in those games.
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That kind of speed, especially from someone who can run routes and not just run fast in one direction, can be a major problem in Ben Johnson's offense.
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