{"id":886316,"date":"2026-05-09T05:12:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T05:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/886316\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T05:12:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T05:12:18","slug":"how-zavion-thomas-surprised-onlookers-in-just-his-first-bears-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/886316\/","title":{"rendered":"How Zavion Thomas Surprised Onlookers In Just His First Bears Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minicamps must always be taken with a grain of salt. They take place with shorts without pads, with zero contact. Anything you see can easily be an illusion. That said, there are always hints at what certain players may offer in the near future if you watch carefully. It didn\u2019t take long for people to see Braxton Jones was far better than the 5th round pick used to acquire him in 2022. Just one practice into the 2026 offseason, and it appears the name to watch already is 3rd round pick Zavion Thomas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Everybody knows the scuttlebutt around the wide receiver from LSU. He never produced much on the offensive side of the ball, serving as an occasional deep threat who did most of his best work on special teams as a return man. Still, head coach Ben Johnson said there was far more to like on tape than people recognized. He saw somebody who fit the vision of what the Bears like on offense. That much became apparent in the first minicamp practice. Onlookers didn\u2019t need long to recognize his significant speed.<\/p>\n

Yet that wasn\u2019t what surprised them. It was how good his hands were.<\/p>\n

Brief take aways (as much as you can in one mini camp practice).<\/p>\n

\u25aa\ufe0fZAVION Thomas looks explosive speed def shows up. Surprised at how natural he catches the ball with his hands. <\/p>\n

\u25aa\ufe0fSam Roush is a LARGE human but still can move. Really impressive quicks for a big man. <\/p>\n

\u25aa\ufe0fMalik\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) May 8, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Top 3 Rookie Minicamp Day 1 Observations:<\/p>\n

1- Zavion Thomas showed impressive hands catching balls that were thrown behind him. <\/p>\n

2- Sam Roush has an NFL body. <\/p>\n

3- Malik Muhammad looked sticky in coverage.<\/p>\n

BONUS: K Gabriel Plascencia looks like a linebacker.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mark Carman (@thecarm) May 8, 2026<\/a> Zavion Thomas faces the same stigma many small receivers do.<\/p>\n

One thing you often find with guys who are short and thin is that they don\u2019t have good hands. Their calling card is speed and quickness. Teams are forced to live with the fact that they will probably drop a few passes. The Bears saw this play out with Darnell Mooney a few years ago and Olamide Zaccheaus last season. Thomas is 5\u201910\u201d and 190 lbs. Everybody assumed he would suffer from the same problem. His hands are even smaller than Mooney\u2019s were. All the indicators were there.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd25 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel<\/a> to hear Chicago legends tell stories you\u2019ve never seen in headlines \u2014 real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the actual numbers didn\u2019t back this up. Thomas had a catch percentage of 71.4% in 2025. That put him among the best in the entire 2026 draft class, right alongside 1st round pick Makai Lemon (73.1%). One must not forget that he did this despite significant instability at quarterback, with Garrett Nussmeier missing a month of action due to injuries. This doesn\u2019t automatically mean Thomas is destined for greatness, but it does mean his capability might\u2019ve been misdiagnosed by pre-draft assumptions.<\/p>\n

Thomas already dispelled one myth about him.<\/p>\n

That is always the first test. Assumptions about him were largely the same: short, thin, unpolished, a one-trick pony as a wide receiver. He isn\u2019t built to play the position like a professional. He\u2019ll likely become a gadget option who doubles as a team\u2019s returner. If that were true, the Bears wouldn\u2019t have spent a 3rd round pick on Zavion Thomas. That kind of investment suggests they see more in him. We learned last year that it probably isn\u2019t a good idea to doubt Johnson\u2019s eye for talent.<\/p>\n

Still, there is a long way to go. Rookies don\u2019t get credibility or respect from one spring practice. The trick will be stringing them together and showing progress every day. How bad does Zavion Thomas want to get better? That is the question coaches will pose to him every day. He insists he lives for the grind. Johnson aims to test that. If the young receiver can pass through to the other side of this crucible, he could emerge as one of the Bears\u2019 most dangerous weapons.<\/p>\n