Add Zavion Thomas to the growing list of Louisiana flavor in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears selected the LSU wide receiver and former John Ehret star Friday in the third round with the No. 89 overall pick in this year’s event.
[ ZAVION THOMAS BOLSTERS DRAFT STOCK WITH BLAZING 4.28-SECOND 40 AT NFL COMBINE ]
Thomas became the second Louisiana native chosen, following the Seattle Seahawks’ selection of former Alexandria safety Ja’Darius “Bud” Clark in the second round, and also joined LSU teammates Mansoor Delane and A.J. Haulcy, who went to the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round and Indianapolis Colts in the third round, respectively.
The versatile weapon — both around the offensive formation and in the return game — spent two seasons at Mississippi State before relishing the opportunity to come home and represent Louisiana in purple and gold.
He played in all 26 games during his time with the Tigers, including 10 starts, and caught 64 passes for 706 yards and six touchdowns and rushed 28 times for 175 yards and a score and completed two of three passes for 33 yards.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound athlete then went on to significantly bolster his stock at the NFL Combine with a 4.28-second 40-yard dash and strong workout overall.
ZAVION THOMAS SCOUTING REPORTS
ESPN, via Scouts Inc.:
“Thomas ran the third-fastest 40-yard dash at the combine, regardless of position, at 4.28 seconds. He has very good short-area quickness and suddenness when running routes. Plus, he is very efficient getting out of his cuts and tempos his routes. Thomas does a good job idling down when he has green grass around him in zone coverage. He was used as a gadget player over two seasons at LSU, lining up or motioning to the backfield to create mismatches in coverage. His lack of length can hurt him against longer cornerbacks. But he could add value on special teams, accounting for three return touchdowns in college”
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein:
“Thomas lacks gaudy production as a receiver, but his athleticism, versatility and return talent could bolster his roster value. He has average size with enough vertical speed to stress defenses downfield. He’s average in beating man coverage underneath and struggles finishing catches through contact. His vision, burst and elusiveness as a runner makes the evaluation more interesting. Thomas is likely to be viewed as a WR5 candidate with value as a return man, but teams could dig a little deeper on his potential as a running back.”
