Zavion Thomas
Thomas is a rookie third-round pick (No. 89) who looks like a speed-based change-of-pace piece and return man, not a full-time receiver. I found no in-season reporting that settles his offensive role.
Role
I found no snap share or target share. ESPN's player page (about 30 days old) says he will battle Kalif Raymond and Jahdae Walker for work behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. It also calls him a situational rusher, receiver and returner. An SI Bears site piece from about 44 days ago quotes an analyst calling him WR5 who won't see the field much on offense but could be seen more as a kick and punt returner. The same piece says Ben Johnson will use him as a slot receiver, outside receiver or even running back. I did not read the Bears' depth chart, so I can't say where he sits on it. Season stat lines conflict across sources (Wikipedia, the Bears' site, ESPN), so I am printing no totals.
He ran an official 4.28 40-yard dash at the combine. In the preseason finale he caught five passes for 140 yards and a touchdown, including a 97-yard score that Yahoo says was the league's fastest preseason speed mark. He also had a 39-yard punt return. Optimists say Johnson will manufacture touches for him through screens, slot work and special teams, and that the speed alone stretches defenses.
ESPN's fantasy note says he held only a 13% target share over his last three college seasons and never topped 41 catches, 536 receiving yards or five touchdowns in any of them. It calls him unlikely to become a reliable fantasy option. He is stuck behind Odunze and Burden. One analyst in the SI piece expects Johnson to start rookies slowly, so his offensive snaps may stay limited.
Where analysts split
The split is whether his preseason burst turns into real offensive snaps, as a slot or gadget receiver, or whether he stays mostly a returner. That depends on how much Johnson uses him in the Bears' crowded receiver room. The coverage I found is mostly preseason-era, so I can't say which side regular-season usage has favored.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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