Bear Digest

Ben Johnson's interest in receiver easy to explain after last year

Any receiver with world class speed can make a huge difference in an offense even as a decoy so it's easy to see why one Texas wideout is going to make a Bears 30 visit.

Gene Chamberlain

Texas receiver Isaiah Bond is one of the faster players in this year's draft and has no problem letting people know it.
Texas receiver Isaiah Bond is one of the faster players in this year's draft and has no problem letting people know it. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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There's little doubt why the Bears are sniffing around Isaiah Bond, the Texas wide receiver who will be coming to Halas Hall on a 30 visit.

In 2022 and 2023 Ben Johnson coordinated Detroit's defense and they were very good, ranking fifth in scoring both times.

Then Jameson Williams figured out what he needed to do to be on the field, healthy, in his third season and a player who had never made more than two catches in a game until December of his second season suddenly had nine games with more than 63 yards receiving. The Lions went on to finish first in scoring, second overall.

"Defenses don't want to single him out because he will make them pay," Johnson told reporters about Williams' speed. "They're not as fast as him, it's as simple as that."

The result then was defenses trying to keep from getting beat deep and it softened them up over the middle for the running game and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The Bears offense Johnson inherits has no threat to take a lid off the defense any play, although they have good speed in the receiver corps overall with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Devin Duvernay and Tyler Scott. Yet, there is no fright show, the kind to put the fear of instant TDs in every cornerback.

Hence, Bond, who might be one of the fastest receivers in this draft but definitely is the most confident.

"What separates me from the rest of the draft class is the sheer speed," Bond told reporters at the NFL scouting combine. "There's not a receiver that has the speed and capabilities that I have.

"It's not just speed; I'm a complete wide receiver. I have amazing routes. If you watch the tape, you'll see that."

Maybe only Muhammad Ali and carnival barkers trumpted things up better.

"Really people underestimate my hands," Bond said. "I only had two recorded drops my whole college career. There's not a lot of receivers out there or in the past that have ever done that.

"And also my route running, if you really want to watch the tape. People say I'm all speed, but I have really crisp and clean routes."

The truth is Bond is fast, but hasn't tested as fast as he says or promised. As for his receiving ability, if all he said about his route and ability are true then the Longhorns either had poor quarterbacking, bad coaching or he had injuries all year because he didn't catch a ton of passes.

Bond did suffer an ankle injury last year that impacted his play. He said he never really got over it.

"It's a physical sport," he said. "The best ones are going to play hurt."

Bond went on to make 34 catches for 540 yards with five touchdown catches in his lone Longhorns season. He came over from Alabama, where he had 65 catches for 888 yards and five TDs in two years.

So while he has talked a lot about his abilities, and has produced some numbers, those  haven't put him among the draft class' elite receivers.

Nor did his speed claims quite live up to what he has said, although there's no denying he can run.

At the combine his prediction before the 40s: "I anticipate running 4.20, or possibly if I'm feeling great, I might run 4.1."

He said his best time, but not an official clocking of any sort, was 4.23.

At the combine, Bond ran 4.39, tied for ninth among receivers. So at the Texas pro day this week, Bond was looking again for a better number. He was upstaged a bit by running back Jaydon Blue and what was reported at 4.28 and 4.25. Bond ran the second-fastest time for his team at 4.34.

A 4.34 is a very good time, just like 4.39, and they're speeds Johnson could no doubt do something with either as a target or a decoy.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.