Ben Johnson, Bears are sitting on a goldmine in underrated talent

Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears have so much to be excited about heading into the 2026 season, especially after their strong 2025 showing, in which they went 11-6 and won the NFC North. It's time to capitalize on that momentum and hit the ground running next season, and part of that is bringing on new players, but another part of it is appreciating the hidden talent already on the roster.

A strong roster consists of rookies, veterans and the players who fall somewhere between those labels, such as second-year and third-year players. Now, one promising 2025 second-round draft pick is getting major kudos ahead of 2026, and if Johnson is smart, which he is, he'll listen.

Bears 2025 draft pick is getting noticed in the NFL

The Bears selected wide receiver Luther Burden III with the No. 39th overall pick in in the 2025 NFL Draft. It was one of Johnson's first draft selections, so he's personally invested in Burden.

In a feature for CBS Sports, Zachary Pereles names his favorite breakout candidates on each NFC team. For the Bears, he goes with Burden, saying that the wideout "was already a popular breakout candidate before Ben Johnson said he's 'buying Luther Burden stock right now.'"

He added that last season, "Burden averaged 2.71 yards per route run, third-highest out of the 152 wide receivers who ran at least 100 routes," Pereles wrote. "Burden is speedy and shifty and, ultimately, uber-talented, as he showed as a sophomore at Missouri before a down junior season caused his draft stock to drop."

It's shaping up to be an exciting year for Burden. Now that the Bears can't rely on DJ Moore, Burden will get more playing time, so it's his time to really show the league what he can do.