Cubs News: Ben Johnson on WR Luther Burden III: "I see big things in his future"

Jay Biggerstaff - USA Today Sports

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - 1 day ago

CHICAGO - This draft marked the first draft for Ben Johnson as a head coach. While this process may have been new to him, it was helpful for him to see how Ryan Poles and his staff went through the draft process to provide order to chaos and execute the plan they laid out.

“In regards to Ryan and his staff, my first exposure in the draft room with his crew was before the combine and to see the consistency with which the schedule comes and the structure. Everything is working. There’s a flow. There’s a rhythm to all the madness behind what we do and how we do it and Ryan really is the brains behind that,” Johnson said. “He’s set it all up and you can tell that this group, this organization has been together for a number of years now because it’s been running so smoothly. So, he’s consistent every single day when he comes in. I think (that) sometimes is underlooked at times, particularly in this profession. Consistency is a huge deal and he’s done a great job just every single day - laying out a plan, executing that plan and it’s been a pleasure getting to know him more.”

Chicago’s first draft pick was a little bit of a surprise. Drafting a tight end was not as much of a surprise, but choosing Colston Loveland out of Michigan over Tyler Warren out of Penn State was unexpected. Johnson explained that wanting Loveland to be a Chicago Bear started with how he is as a person and how he conducts himself on and off the field.

He also sees a lot of similarities between him and Detroit’s tight end, Sam LaPorta.

“It starts with the person more so than the player. I love the tape. I love everything about the tape. But, when you get to know him as a man, it’s really intriguing. It’s who we want to be going forward in my opinion. He stands for high football character, IQ, intelligence. But, he’s a great teammate. When we went to the University of Michigan, everybody was raving about him. To see how he conducted himself not only amongst his teammates, but walking through the building and interacting with equipment staff and video staff, you could tell that he was so well-respected,” Johnson said. “His story is a little bit unique. Coming from smalltown Idaho and yet going to the big stage like he did, he didn’t bat an eye and so, I do see a lot of comparisons to LaPorta. But, that’s not just on the field. That was off the field as well because with LaPorta, the stage was never too big or too bright. I felt that same thing with Colston the first time I met him. He doesn’t bat an eye. He performs at a high level and as we talk about where we’re going as an organization and we’re going to be playing in these big games with the bright lights, we need guys that are going to rise up to the occasion and he’s going to do that for us.”

In addition to using the first round pick on an offensive weapon, Chicago also used their No. 39 overall pick on another weapon for quarterback Caleb Williams - wide receiver Luther Burden III. According to Next Gen Stats, Burden III had the highest overall draft score out of any wide receiver in this year’s draft class as well as the second-highest production score.

Thus, it was a steal for the Bears to be able to acquire him in the second round after five wide receivers had already gone off the board.

“He’s a playmaker waiting to happen … Luther has that same confidence. He’s got that same swagger to him. For 6 foot, 200 plus pounds, it’s rare to see somebody with his movement skills,” Johnson said. “He can stop on a dime and accelerate just like that. Give him a little bit of space and he can make big things happen. So, a dangerous player, weapon. Call him what you want, but I see big things in his future.”

Between acquiring another wide receiver, drafting two offensive linemen and drafting another interior defensive lineman, there should be a lot of competition in training camp this season.

That is just the way Johnson likes things as he wants everyone to have to earn their spot on the roster.

“There is no depth chart right now. If you want to play right now, you have to go earn it. If you want a role, you have to go earn it. They know that. So, we were very straightforward and honest with them when they came into the building,” Johnson said. “I think all we did this weekend was we might have just turned up the notch just a couple of dials for certain people in the building. That’s a good thing. That’s a healthy thing. That’s where you bring out the best not only in your team, but in each individual. So, what I’m going to be curious to see is what guys look like when the ball’s not in their hands on offense. We have a lot of weapons and so, how are you going to run your route when you might not be number one in the progression? How are you going to block your teammate when he has the ball? Because, if you do those things right, then as a coaching staff, we’re going to want to get you the ball a little bit more. So, it all ties together. It all goes hand-in-hand and that’s the beauty behind it.”