Will the rookie top the veteran behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze?
My favorite series to write every year is the training camp battles series. Why? Because that means NFL training camps are really close to opening!
We kick off our training camp battle series with one at the wide receivers and one that nobody has talked much about his spring.
Who will be the third wide receiver on the Chicago Bears? Will it be Luther Burden or Olamide Zaccheaus?
Burden was drafted in round two with the 39th overall pick, so it’s a safe bet that Burden would slot in as the team’s third wide receiver, but don’t count out Zaccheaus. He’s a quality wide receiver, and the Bears didn’t sign him as a depth piece they don’t plan to play.
WR3 is always an important position because with single running back sets, WR3 has become a starting position in the league, but will it be one this season in Chicago?
The Bears have an opportunity to create some dynamic 12 personnel with Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, but even if they do use 12 personnel heavier than most NFL teams, there will be plenty of snaps per game where the Bears have three wide receivers out on the field.
For this battle to commence, Burden first needs to sign his contract. I don’t expect it to be an issue; I would expect him to sign before training camp opens, but it could be close to the July 19th date when rookies are slated to report.
Second-round picks, because of guaranteed money slotting, are always the latest picks to sign with teams. At this point, only two of the 2025 second-round picks have signed, so Burden isn’t alone here, but obviously, they need to get that done.
Burden is going to get every opportunity to win this job and see the field. He’s a high pick, he’s under contract for four years, and he’s a player who was expected to be a first-round talent heading into this past season, but his production slid a little (largely due to quarterback play), and Burden saw his stock drop some because of it.
Zaccheaus is an interesting player. A former UDFA of the Atlanta Falcons, he worked his way up the depth chart during his first couple of seasons, and by year three, he was on the field for almost 60% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps.
His snap count percentage dropped the last couple of seasons in Philadelphia and Washington (just below 50%), but he had an outstanding last season for the Commanders.
Zaccheaus finished second amongst Commanders WRs (and third overall) in receiving yards last season. He’s a unique player where good things happen when he has the football in his hands.
Zaccheaus is a willing blocker who does a great job moving defenders away from the line of scrimmage and does a nice job working in space on bubble screens as well. He’s also a solid contributor on special teams.
We keep hearing about how everyone on the field needs to block in Ben Johnson’s offense. If some of the wide receivers aren’t buying into blocking as much as Johnson wants, Zaccheaus could see his snaps increase because he doesn’t mind getting in there and cracking pads.
The Bears almost certainly planned on having Zaccheaus as the team’s third wide receiver, but when Burden fell into their lap, they pounced and now have a bounty of weapons for Caleb Williams.
The bottom line: whoever ends up as the Bears’ WR4 is going to be arguably the best WR4 in the league. That may sound like a “who cares” type of statement, but what does that mean when you read between the lines? It means the Bears have tremendous depth at the position and a huge supply of targets for Caleb Williams.
Burden will be given the opportunities to win the job, but if Zaccheaus’ abilities around the line of scrimmage really shine in August, don’t be surprised if it’s Olamide Zaccheaus that is earning WR3 snaps come week one.