Speedy rookie Zavion Thomas shares a surprising family connection to Bears icon Walter Payton. Can he channel the legend's magic on the field?
The Chicago Bears knew exactly what they were doing when drafting Zavion Thomas in the third round out of LSU on Friday.
Thomas was one of the fastest players in the 2026 NFL Draft, running a 4.28 40-yard dash, which ranks among the top 15 all-time.
Other than his lightning-fast speed, Thomas also brings gadget player and great returner skills to the Bears. The franchise had Devin Hester for many years and hopes Thomas can have a similar impact.
Kalif Raymond is already on the roster, so we'll have to decide whether the Bears want Thomas on kickoffs or punt returns.
It'll be exciting to see what Ben Johnson cooks up for Thomas on offense. Maybe the Bears have a Deebo Samuel on their hands?
Through the first three rounds of the draft, the Bears took a lot of offense. The only defensive player was Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 25. Chicago also took Iowa center Logan Jones and Stanford tight end Sam Rousch on Friday.
Picking Thomas had plenty of significance for the Bears. He's apparently distantly related to one of the franchise's most beloved players, Walter Payton.
Thomas played college football for Mississippi State and LSU. On his Mississippi State bio, it says that the receiver is a distant relative of the Bears Hall of Famer.
Payton's son Jarrett wasn't aware of the connection but is hoping that it's true. We’ll see if Payton’s actual relative can confirm whether this is true or not
"This is news to me, but I'm looking into it," Payton said. "Hope it's true."
Every Bears fan knows about Walter Payton.
He is the undisputed all-time career rushing yards leader for the franchise, finishing with 16,726. He played for Chicago when the team won its first Super Bowl in 1985.
The Bears are going offense-heavy in this draft, despite having a bad defense in 2025. The only thing Chicago was able to do consistently last season was force turnovers, leading the league with 33 in the regular season.
Chicago ranked in the bottom 10 of the league in passing yards, rushing yards and points allowed per game.
Thieneman at least filled a big need for the team. The Bears lost Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker in free agency and needed another starting safety to accompany Coby Bryant in the secondary.
Thieneman gives them a versatile player who took snaps at free safety, corner, slot corner, box, and even on the defensive line throughout college.
Jones is an option for the Bears' future center. He'll sit behind Garrett Bradbury this season.
Roush is a third option at tight end behind Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland.
It's crazy that Thomas could be related to a Bears legend like Payton. Maybe we'll see some flashes of Sweetness himself this season.