Zavion Thomas is already making noise in Chicago, and he hasn’t taken a single NFL snap yet.
That’s the kind of early buzz that usually comes from speed alone, and Thomas has plenty of that. But what really caught Richard Hightower’s attention wasn’t just the burst. It was the way the Bears’ 89th overall selection is handling everything around the job.
Hightower, a veteran special teams coach with plenty of players under his belt, said Thomas stands out from most rookies he’s worked with at returner.
"I think that Zavion is a little bit more mature than most rookies that I've dealt with in the returner position. Doesn't mean that he won't make rookie mistakes, it doesn't mean any of that.
It just means the way he carries himself, I think it's a lot easier for him to adjust and adapt than most rookies I've had so far... Most rookies just wanna know what their job is and make sure they're lined up in the right place.
This kid is trying to help the team in more ways than just his job. So that's how he's more mature."
That’s high praise, and it says a lot about where Thomas is already ahead of the curve. The return game demands more than straight-line speed.
A player has to recognize coverages, understand how they move, and react instantly once the ball is in play. That’s a lot to process, especially for a rookie trying to earn trust early.
What Hightower is describing is a player who asks the right questions and shows he’s paying attention. That gives a coach room to coach, instead of spending all day on the basics. And for a Bears team that moved on from Devin Duvernay, there’s reason to believe Thomas can step into that role.
The speed is obvious. The maturity might be the part that gets him on the field fastest.
Thomas still has to turn that early praise into actual production once the games start, but if the mindset matches the athleticism, Chicago may already have its returner.
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