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Why Zavion Thomas Can Let Bears Duplicate Ben Johnson's Lions Attack

The Bears coach used Jameson Williams' world-class speed to impact Detroit's attack, and here's how similar speed in a draft pick could aid Caleb Williams.
Gene Chamberlain|
Speedy Bears wide receiver addition Zavion Thomas fights off Western Kentucky defensive back Dave Herard.
Speedy Bears wide receiver addition Zavion Thomas fights off Western Kentucky defensive back Dave Herard. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

There's little doubt what drafting Zavion Thomas in Round 3 meant for Ben Johnson and the Bears.

The third-round pick from LSU ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the combine. They haven't had this type of 40-yard dash speed available to them for deep routes or to convert short routes into huge gains since Devin Hester.

This type of speed is something Johnson grew accustomed to having in his Detroit offense when they got Jameson Williams healthy and up and running within the offense in 2023 after a knee injury, and also once they added running back Jahmyr Gibbs to the attack. In Williams' case, it made a colossal difference because he could threaten defenses with deep routes.

Thomas is a bit different player than Williams, at 5-10 and not 6-1, and their experience as players coming out of college also differs, although Thomas isn't exactly inexperienced by comparison. Thomas made more receptions than Williams did in college. He just didn't have the one huge year like Williams did before the draft.

GM Ryan Poles cautioned against going too overboard on Thomas' impact, but let's face it: This is a third-round pick and not a seventh-rounder. He should produce. But veteran Kalif Raymond is ahead of him on the depth chart.

“So this is a tough system, so it’s going to be a challenge for him to break through with Kalif (available)," Poles said. "But again, we're going to open that competition up, for all of these guys coming in.

"I think you feel really good about the return ability that he has and then he'll be in with the rest of the guys to learn the offense. And how does he do that? How fast does that come along? You all have talked to our receivers. It's a challenging system. So maybe that role starts small and it grows over time, but I don't want to put a cap on it. If he comes in and downloads fast and is up and running, then we'll see what happens.”

After all of the hedging, remember Poles did draft this player in Round 3 when he could have still found needed defensive help and didn't. Or it's possible he could have traded that pick away earlier in Round 2 to move up and get a pass rusher. So he'd better produce early-ish.

Speed can make up for so much.

"When you pair that up with Ben and (offensive coordinator) Press (Taylor), exciting things can happen," Poles had to admit.

Assistant scouting director Francis St. Paul pointed out what those exciting things can actually be.

"He can put him in multiple places," St. Paul said. "He has some plays in the backfield where he has played running back. You can run fly sweep with him. He's had multiple ways where teams can get him the ball.

"Teams are going to have to worry about him when he's on the field."

What speed meant to Lions

The last sentence brings to mind what happened in Detroit. The addition of sub-4.3 speed can open up the attack by giving room to both the receiver and possibly other potential receivers on given plays.

This can be the lid-lifter for the offense and quarterback Caleb Williams, like Johnson had with Jameson Williams. And because he can line up in the backfield, he could even present a threat like Gibbs brought to Detroit, although finding that actual full-time speed back might be the final frontier for Johnson’s Bears attack.

In Detroit, adding Williams' speed to the attack added a new dimension and brought desired results. Williams had an adjustment period and recovery time because of his knee injury, but seemed to take hold in Week 6 of the 2023 season in a game against Tampa Bay.  

From that point on through the time Johnson left, Jared Goff averaged 273.7 passing yards per game, which was 14.5 more yards per game than prior to Williams having much of a role. Williams had only three career receptions before that Week 6 game and then became a regular in the attack.

Goff's passer rating went up from 99.32 before Williams brought his speed to bear to 103.19 after it. His yards per pass attempt—a critical statistic for NFL attacks—soared from 7.6 to 8.06. His touchdown rate climbed from 1.72 to 2.0. Even his completion percentage jumped from 65 .07% to 69.6%. Imagine Caleb Williams with a 69.6% completion rate.

Other factors were involved but they were not numbers affecting the attack from that exact point in time when Williams' world-class speed was added.

If what Poles says is true, the addition of Raymond makes plenty of sense because he knows the offense and Thomas can learn it from watching a knowledgeable veteran ahead of him on the depth chart.

Eventually, though, speed like 4.28 stands for itself.

Expect Johnson to mix this dimension in sooner rather than later, and make use of it to enhance Caleb Williams' passing. Then, in the future, perhaps Poles can find him that all-purpose speed back like he had in Detroit that is really the lone missing element.

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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.

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