When I first heard ‘Zavion’ called, I got excited. I thought the Bears drafted the other Zxavion, Zxavion Harris. A DT with a record. Turns out, Harris didn’t even get drafted because of his red flags. Get on it, Poles!
My second initial reaction, “Great, another Velus-Cohen special.” Perhaps I’m just an overly traumatized Bear fans, “Tell me where Halas touched you…”
For any who still doubt that BJ is driving and Poles riding shotgun, this is the pick. So this really is the “in Ben we trust” era.
“This guy is going to be a weapon,” Bears assistant director of college scouting Francis St. Paul said on Friday. “This is one of the guys that Ben, when he saw the tape, started doing his little rocking and you could tell he was really excited about him.”
The new kickoff rules have actually pushed a lot of prospects with return skills up the boards making iffy HBs, scatbacks and hybrid WRs much more viable than in previous years. Drafniks hadn’t factored this much into their mocks, as such, they made Zavion Thomas a 7th RDer or priority UFDA;
Nevertheless, actual GMs and coaches obviously covet starting field position much more.
Silvy@WaddleandSilvy
Our friend @FieldYates told us a great story about Zavion Thomas. Field didn’t have him in his top 150. Someone called him and asked why. That person told him that Thomas would eventually be a third round pick. And it wasn’t from someone w/ the #Bears.
Teams would kick it out of the back of the endzone because that’s what the math dictated. Roughly 23% of kickoffs were returned. That’s not much value for a returner. They changed the rule to punish teams that booted it out. Suddenly coaches didn’t want to cede a measly extra 5 yards because it changed the winning/losing math. This dramatically boosted returns from 23% to about 70%, or as Hoge relayed, about 70 chances to create a big play per season.
If Zavion Thomas can gift the O an extra 5-7 yds per drive, that alone might be worth the pick. Think about how some clutch Devin Durvernay returns changed momentum and even a win or two.
An extra 5-7 yards could be the difference between a short shanked punt which only nets 20 yds, or turning a 60 yd FG attempt into a 53 yder to tie/win the game.
That’s not even accounting for the sky in the pie scenario where Thomas plays more like the OTHER Chicago returner named Devin.
Ben Johnson obviously calculated the risk to be worth it. Something else to consider. Maybe BJ doesn’t see Thomas as a gadget/ speed slot WR. Maybe, just maybe, he sees him more as his Jahmyr Gibbs.
Or Thomas was ridiculously overdrafted and Velus 2.0…
Round 2, Pick 57:Logan Jones, C, Iowa Pro Comparison: Seth McLaughlin Summary Logan Jones anchored Iowa’s Joe Moore Award–winning offensive line and won the Rimington Trophy after logging more than 2,800 snaps as a four-year starter. He shows good athletic traits and excellent consistency in Iowa’s zone-blocking system. Jones likely projects as a center only at the next level and lacks the ideal size and length the NFL typically covets, despite his stellar college career. He’s a savvy, intelligent player who could thrive in a zone or pin-and-pull scheme.
About 2025: Unanimous All-American 2025: Rimington Trophy winner (nation’s top C) Strengths Excellent feet and athleticism to reach frontside defenders and cut off backside pursuit; smooth mover in space and to the second level. Good initial strike in pass protection with the footwork to mirror, clamp and stone defenders on counters. High football IQ, consistently setting protections, identifying the Mike and adjusting the point when needed. Weaknesses Struggles to move head-up defensive linemen in the run game and anchor consistently against power in pass protection. Lacks the ideal size and length [30″ arms] NFL teams prefer; combine measurements will be closely scrutinized. Smaller pass-protection sample in a run-heavy offense and has shown occasional issues picking up games and exotic blitzes. Combine Data 40-yard dash: 4.90 seconds [Sub 5]. Vertical jump: 32 inches 20-yard shuttle run: 4.59 seconds Broad jump: 9 feet, 2 inches 3-cone drill: 7.46 seconds
Butch Take: I don’t mind this one [despite the Trex factor]. Bradbury was never the long-term answer and Logan Jones may actually supplant him. Iowa has a fantastic record with Oline and TEs. Seems a bit undersized, but BJ/Rouschar covet nimble Cs, and Jones can make blocks others can’t. It should be noted that other IOL/Cs like Slaughter, Hecht, Zuhn and Lew were frequently graded more highly, but hey, THEY didn’t win the Rimington, and I never trust ‘converted’ Cs. Prefer them to be true centers, and Jones is that. C is also notoriously difficult to judge, so I’m going to have to trust BJ knows WTF he’s doing.
Round 3, Pick 69 (via Rams): Sam Roush, TE, Stanford Pro Comparison: Jack Doyle Summary Sam Roush is a sturdy, reliable tight end who excels as a traditional inline blocker and middle-of-the-field target. A high-achieving student-athlete at Stanford, he has a large catch radius and the strength to run through defenders in the open field. While he may not be the fastest player, his consistent blocking and ability to shield defenders make him a valuable asset in a balanced offense.
About Career: 119 receptions, 1,201 receiving yards, 4 receiving TD Family: Two uncles and grandfather played in NFL Strengths Effective inline blocker who plays bigger than his 250-pound frame. Natural hands catcher with a large, reliable catch radius. Strong long-strider capable of running through arm tackles in space. Weaknesses Lacks high-end twitch or explosiveness of elite tight ends. Can struggle to create consistent separation against tight man coverage. Occasional losses early in reps against highly active edge rushers. Combine Data 40-yard dash: 4.70 seconds Bench press: 25 reps Vertical jump: 38.5 inches 20-yard shuttle run: 4.37 seconds Broad jump: 10 feet, 6 inches 3-cone drill: 7.08 seconds
Butch Take: must admit, this befuddled me. Poles just restructured Kmet. Loveland is obviously TE1, so drafting TE3 at 69 makes lil sense. I can only conclude BJ wanted to make up for Smythe’s 25% snaps [though I read Bears only lined up 8% in 13 personnel. Need to confirm]. Nevertheless, T3 ain’t going to stop Jahmyr Gibbs or sack Jordan Love.
Round 3, Pick 89: Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU Pro Comparison: Rashid Shaheed Summary Zavion Thomas is an explosive, versatile playmaker who can line up across the formation or contribute as a dangerous return specialist. He relies on elite short-area quickness and precise footwork to create instant separation against man coverage. While he lacks the size to dominate in jump-ball situations, his ability to reach top speed quickly makes him a constant big-play threat in space.
About 2025: 41 receptions, 488 receiving yards, 4 receiving TD Career: 1,213 receiving yards, 7 receiving TD, 1 rushing TD, 3 return TD Strengths Reaches top speed in two steps with elite acceleration. Precise route runner with twitchy movement out of breaks. Dangerous open-field runner with the ability to stack defenders vertically. Weaknesses Struggles to win contested-catch battles against larger defenders. Lacks the size and play strength to be an effective blocker. Difficulty separating on deep routes against physical cornerbacks. Combine Data 40-yard dash: 4.28 seconds Vertical jump: 36 inches
Butch Take: Another offensive weapon! [pun intended]. Honestly, my first reaction? “Great, Velus/Cohen 2.0” An apologist can argue that we needed a true ‘gadget’ threat. Someone who can take a jet sweep or return to the house, or back off the safeties with 4.28 ludicrous speed. Heck, some comp him to Tyreek Hill, and he’s somehow related to Sweetness.
I guess Bears can score 50 a game.
OT. Sat, RDs 4-7
Jacob Infante@jacobinfante24 ·28m #Bears GM Poles drafting in RD 3:
• Velus Jones Jr. • Zacch Pickens • Kiran Amegadjie • Sam Roush • Zavion Thomas
Not even gonna bother with best available. GMs usually go off the rails by RD 4 [some earlier, apparently].
Only ones I maybe want:
Edge, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
DL Gracen Halton, Oklahoma
DT Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss
So Poles will likely draft a safety, scatback and water boy.
