THE SLEEPING GIANT AWAKENS: Why Luther Burden Is About to Become Caleb Williams' Favorite Weapon

Luther Burden III is ESPN's official 2026 breakout pick for the Bears after posting an elite 2.92 yards-per-route-run as a rookie (tied with A.J. Brown for the best rookie mark in 15 years), and with DJ Moore traded away and Rome Odunze still recovering from a foot injury, he has a real shot at 1,000+ receiving yards as Ben Johnson's trust in him grows. Meanwhile, Jeremy Fowler's league-wide positional surveys left both Jaylon Johnson and Montez Sweat outside the official top 10 at their positions — Johnson landed as an honorable mention but still ranked 14th by raw votes (still CB1-caliber despite an injury-riddled 2025), while Sweat came in around 16th among edge rushers, a fair middle-of-the-pack grade given he's been forced to carry Chicago's pass rush largely on his own.