Bear Digest

Bears Can Find One Missing Element to Their Attack at the Combine

The Bears' offense seems to be short one type of player and this is something the Indianapolis scouting combine provides a good measure of this week.
Gene Chamberlain|
Good luck keeping close to wide receiver Brenen Thompson of Mississippi State, possibly this draft's fastest player.
Good luck keeping close to wide receiver Brenen Thompson of Mississippi State, possibly this draft's fastest player. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams has the move-tight end courtesy of Colston Loveland, the in-line tight end in Cole Kmet, the 50-50 receiver in Rome Odunze, the dangerous slot in Luther Burden III, a veteran all-around playmaker in DJ Moore and even a running back who contributes greatly as a receiver in D'Andre Swift.

What more could the Bears' quarterback ask for? That's an easy answer, and it might be one of the most important features required to set off Ben Johnson's offense into orbit. They need the lid-lifting burner.

The Packers found one last year in Matthew Golden, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash for receivers at last year's draft. The Lions have the player like the Bears could use in Jameson Williams.

It's not easy finding receivers with world-class speed outside of the first round, and those with it often can't play the game as well as other receivers.

Take John Ross, who held the NFL Scouting Combine record for the 40-yard dash of 4.22 seconds until Xavier Worthy ran 4.21 in 2024. Ross, between 2017-2021, made 62 receptions and then didn't play in an NFL game for three years until he wound up in one in 2024 as an elevated Giants practice squad player. Even Worthy himself has had a start best described as "meh" with 101 catches in two years for only averages of 12.7 and 10.8 yards per reception.

Just the threat of speed like Jameson Williams has can force the defense back and open up underneath routes for others, even if the actual production isn't there.

Receivers will run the 40 again on Saturday and perhaps someone will challenge Worthy's record, although it would be a surprise. Still, there are fast receivers for the Bears to consider.

They spent 32.6% of their plays in 12-personnel packages and 8.5% in 13-personnel last year according to Sumer Sports. That still left a lot of plays when they used extra wide receivers and someone with ridiculous speed would help. With Olamide Zaccheaus a free agent, it could open up a spot for a receiver.

Here are possible players who they could see burn the track at Indianapolis and not all of them are wide receivers. In fact, last year three of the fastest six were cornerbacks and there were only two receivers in that quick six. But the Bears could always stand to be faster in the secondary or at running back as well.

WR Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State

If you put faith in the views of The Athletic's draft guru, Dane Brugler, this is the odds-on favorite to be fastest at the combine this year. Thompson is small at 5-9, 170 but Brugler says he's a "feisty" type player who doesn't necessarily play like a small receiver. An over/under has been set in some betting circles for his time and it's coming up at 4.28 for the moment. He played first at Texas one year, then two at Oklahoma and finished last year with his first productive season over 19 catches at 57 receptions for 1,054 yards and six of his 10 career TDs. Probably a later-round pick with numbers like that but the stop watches could lead some to take him before someone of his production should go. He hasn't even shown much ability to be a return man, although he did get one return in college. It was a punt return and he broke it 44 yards. He ran a 10.18 for the 100 meters in high school but that was a long time ago.

WR Barion Brown, Miami

He played three years at Kentucky first, then refined is skills one year at the receiver capital of the country, Baton Rouge. Brown made 175 career catches for just an 11.8-yard average with his 12.6-yard rookie average being his best. In this case, there is real special teams skill. He returned six kickoffs for touchdowns in his career and averaged 29.4 yards on 65 returns. For what it was worth, the Senior Bowl clocked him moving at 20.87 mph, which actually doesn't seem that fast when Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright ran much faster than that (21.66) on his pick-6 in the opener last season against the Vikings.

WR Chris Hilton, LSU

Supposedly, he has it at 23.7 mph, which sounds more like four-legged running more than a pass catcher. Some clockings have put him at 4.31. Unlike Brown, Hilton was at LSU his entire career and never caught more than 13 passes in a season but did average 19.0 yards for his 41 career receptions. He hasn't shown much as a return man, either.

WR Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati

He made 32 catches for 478 yards (14.9 ypc) with six TDs last year after transferring from Lindenwood. At Lindenwood, he had one outstanding year and that was 2024 with a 19.47-yard average per catch (53 receptions, 1,032 yards, 11 TDs). His ability to go take it to the house was obvious before that season as he had eight touchdowns for his 32 catches (599 yards) in 2023 and even had four TDs on his eight receptions in 2022. He is on the famed "Freaks List" of The Athletic's Bruce Feldman but moreso because of his ability in the broad jump. He is said to have gone 11-foot-9, which would challenge but not break the combine record of 12-3. What's different about Caldwell is he's not the smallish type like Thompson, Brown or Hilton. He is 6-4, 190.

WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia

He may or may not reach that elite speed but there is some evidence he has it even if he averaged only 10.3 yards per 159 catches for USC and Georgia, including 81 catches for 811 yards last year for the Bulldogs. He showed off the speed on punt returns with a 13.3-yard average for 44 attempts, including a TD for USC. He also had a TD on a kick return but averaged only 19.3 yards for 39 attempts.

RB Desmond Claiborn, Wake Forest

Claiborn has supposedly been clocked at 22.3 mph, for what that's worth. Maybe he's a Jahmyr Gibbs, who had three of the four fastest NFL in-game clockings per Next Gen Stats last year. His production says he can be a breakaway back in the NFL and started to touch his receiving ability in his last two seasons. He ran for 2,599 yards on 558 attempts (4.7 ypc) at Wake Forest in four years and had 26 TDs and averaged 7.7 yards a catch for 55 career receptions. He also averaged 26.3 yards on 22 kick returns with two going to the house.

RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

The backup to Jeremiyah Love, Price has definitely opened eyes by averaging 6.0 yards per carry for his Notre Dame career but his speed was really showcased on special teams with three kick return TDs and a 36.1-yard average for 22 attempts. He seems ideal for the NFL kick return rules as he can break a tackle and run through crowds before turning on the speed.

RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

A 6.7-yard average for his career says it all but he also averaged 9.4 yards per catch. These numbers say why he's regarded as an early Round 1 pick, but as such, he might not even run a 40 at the combine.

RB Nick Singleton, Penn State

His 2025 season didn't showcase that speed much running it but he had averaged 6.4 yards per carry in 2024 and averaged 9.7 per catch for his career, including 11.8 in 2023. He also has good kick return experience at 23.7 per 48 returns.

CB Treydan Stukes, Arizona

He not only is fast, but uses the speed. He made seven interceptions and broke up 29 passes in six Arizona seasons. At 6-2, 200, he is very solidly built and actually has been a receiver too. Estimates are from 4.3s to low 4.4s. He is a slot cornerback, and those who can play with speed at his size are rare. There are comparisons being made of his speed to Maxwell Hairston (4.28) and Darien Porter (4.3) from last year.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.