Press Taylor Admits Hurdle For Zavion Thomas' Early-Season Role With Bears

We saw first hand just what kind of impact Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas can make a football field.

Thomas displayed that in preseason Week 3, when he pulled off an impressive double move on his defender before getting open, reeling in a pass from Tyson Bagent and accelerating past the entire Tennessee Titans defense for a 97-yard score.

Thomas' explosive skill set is a game-changer, for sure, but that is not going to matter much if he doesn't see the field.

So, just how much can we expect to see him on offense early in his first season in the NFL? We can't say for sure, but we do know what Thomas has got to do to put himself in position to see snaps.

During the week, Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor noted how impressive it was to see Thomas' 97-yard touchdown, but that guarantees nothing as far as his role is concerned.

Taylor admitted that Thomas still has to prove himself in order to get on the field for Chicago.

“I don’t know how many people have taken one 97 on their first touch in the NFL. That’s something he is gifted with. But there’s so much more that goes into earning a role for yourself week to week. And so that’s something he’s going to continue to prove and earn as we go into the season," Taylor said.

One issue for Thomas is the fact that he missed a good amount of time with an injury during training camp, which also forced him to miss the first two preseason games.

That has left Thomas in catch-up mode, Taylor revealed.

“Obviously it doesn’t help when you’re a young player and you’re needing to learn a lot and you gain a lot of experience, and then you miss a lot of time with an injury,” Taylor said. “So he’s still kind of in that process of catching up to everybody else that’s been here and going and competing. But I mean, the talent since the day he got here has flashed.”

Missed practice time makes it tough for any rookie, but that is especially true in an offense that is as tough to master as Ben Johnson's.

Buried on the depth chart

Chicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas. — Chicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas (81) warms up during Training Camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another hurdle for Thomas is his position on the depth chart, where he is currently behind the other four receivers, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond and Jahdae Walker.

That is going to make it extremely difficult for him to grab any semblance of a regular role, barring multiple injuries.

What Thomas does have going for him is his explosive skill set that, as we saw in the preseason finale, makes him a threat to house the football from anywhere on the field.

Thomas isn't just fast, he's exceptionally fast.

On the aforementioned touchdown against Tennessee, Thomas hit a top speed of 21.99 MPH, which was the fastest of the entire NFL preseason, according to Next Gen Stats. Before that, he had posted a ridiculous 4.28 40-yard dash time at the combine.

You don't just leave speed like that on the bench to waste away. Even if Thomas doesn't see regular snaps as a receiver, Johnson will find a way to get him involved, at least as a gadget player, and Thomas could (and should) see some return work, also.

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