One thing that cannot be ignored is his breakout season once he got into the right system. Top gear can separate from anyone. It took until his 2021 season at Tennessee to put it all together, recording 62 receptions for 807 yards and 7 touchdowns. Sometimes, that is because there are some speedsters who can only run fast when going in a straight line. Larry Mayer. Plays fast and explosive. Jones returned kicks in all five seasons he played, as well as returned punts for Tennessee in 2021. And if there were any questions that he only has track speed, Jones was just as fast in game situations. 2, but New Orleans needs someone on the interior. Not until the defender opens his hips and commits to the inside, does Jones make his break. We offer weekly, rest of season, and full season projections. Prior to last season, Jones had never had more than 280 receiving yards in a season. Listed at 6-foot . The Bears have wide receivers Mooney, Chase Claypool, Equanimeous St. Brown and Velus Jones Jr. set to return, but they certainly would benefit from adding bigger names than their low-cost . . As things continue to deteriorate between All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel and the 49ers, the team is doing its due diligence on draft prospects.Tennessee receiver Velus Jones Jr. met with the 49ers . He thrived in the no-huddle offense where he was primarily running routes out of the slot. Does a nice job locating and tracking deep passes and is a legitimate vertical threat. A lot more. The Bears shouldnt have passed on George Pickens twice, and Jones wont give this offense the size it needs at wide receiver. 2023 Mock Drafts 2024 Mock Drafts 2025 Mock Drafts. Alvin Kamara of course has been their most notable pickup from Rocky Top, but theyve also gotten great returns on undrafted free agent finds like Marquez Callaway and Shy Tuttle. Sign up for the Touchdown Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, Georgia coach Kirby Smart reacted to charges against star DL Jalen Carter. With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team . Jones has very good lateral quickness that he was able to show throughout his college career. Jones also showed an ability to control his body on the sidelines and get his feet in bounds, staying cognizant of where he is in relation to the sidelines. 255, Los Angeles Chargers, Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): No. Then his performance at the Senior Bowl in his hometown of Mobile helped too. In all likelihood, in most standard leagues, Jones wont be on the fantasy radar this season. Tennessee footballs Velus Jones Jr. was selected by theChicago Bears in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 71st overall pick. Old prospect whos already 25. But what is great about this play is how he was untouched when making his way up field. Of the Bears' 11 picks in the NFL Draft, ESPN analyst Todd McShay feels that third-round choice Velus Jones Jr., a receiver and return specialist from Tennessee, was their best selection. Velus Jones Jr. saved the best of his college football career for last, and his excellent 2021 season now has the Tennessee wide receiver and return specialist in position to hear his name called . He showed progress in that area late in his college career, which is why his receiving production rose last season. He has quite a ways to go as a route runner. Heres a collection of all of the grades for Jones from various sports outlets, and the analysts think the Bears mightve reached on Jones, who has electric speed but remains unproven. McShay's NFL draft All-Satellite team: The 2022 class' best playmakers in space . Gambling Problem? With Nelson Agholor as the field stretcher and NKeal Harry, well, a disappointment, Jones could work on the interior in the slot and possibly fill role Jakobi Meyers role if he leaves as a restricted free agent. 2023 NFL Draft Top 25 Big Board: Young No. The Bears did recognize their need for more speedy playmaking at wideout to complement Darnell Mooney and give Justin Fields a field-stretcher, but this is a bit of a head-scratcher for a mid Day 3 prospect. Covers a lot of ground in the short half of the field and is slippery after the catch. Jones Jr. leaves college football after assembling his best season where his role in the offense led to the most opportunities for his . Doesnt quite play to that level. Jones sprinted to a 4.31 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and . The goal would be for Jones to build on this and earn trust and more snaps as he refines his game those snaps will lead to targets and, for us, fantasy points. Mocks. Not only does early separation come in handy when stopping the clock during two-minute drills or on third-and-short situations; but Jones can use that space to gain yards after the catch from running slants and quick screens. Jones, a 6-foot, 200-pounder, spent three years . His shocking 40 time (4.31) shot him up draft boards, but Jones remains unrefined and might need some touches schemed up, a la another former Tennessee star in Cordarrelle Patterson. A very old player who will be 25 by the time he takes the field in the NFL, Has a very limited route tree and the routes he did run were often rounded, Has had very limited production as a receiver throughout his college career - with the exception of 2021, Has only really played in the slot and has very little experience out wide, Not a great catch radius and his football IQ is not as high as you would like, Runs with a weird kind of stutter-step that makes his less fluid, Only offers an impact as a gadget player and a deep threat. Willing to go up and attack the ball. Who will be under center? The speed, hands, and body control are there, as is a willingness to play a bit nasty when blocking or giving a CB an extra pop at the whistle. This is why Jones will stick on an NFL roster despite likely not having high draft capital. Good effort and technique as a blocker for his size. Velus Jones Jr . Most of the time, he was out there for the quick pass pseudo screen. Even with the defender lined up seven yards off the line of scrimmage, Jones can still make a move without losing a step in-stride after coming out of his release. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. But he needs to run a fast 40-yard dash and show crisp route-running to catch the eye of a team searching for a late-round pick. An impressive athlete with very quick acceleration to reach his top speed quickly and stretch the field. As a returner he is elite and will likely make an impact early, however, he is somewhat limited as a wide receiver where he is very raw and only really offers anything as a deep threat and as a speed threat in the screen game. He earned his undergraduate degree from USC and completed his masters at Tennessee. Jones would fit right in for the Patriots on offense and special teams. Jones showed in Senior Bowl workouts that he can adjust his body well and utilize his speed to beat defenders for catches. The Bears passed up on a handful of more proven receivers, including Jalen Tolbert, Calvin Austin III and David Bell. With the ball in his hands, Jones can weave smoothly in between traffic and shows off impressive contact balance for a receiver of average size. 171) - 1 Round 6 - Cincinnati Bengals (No. Throughout the game, once Jones beat several defenders deep, the defensive-backs tend to take a couple steps back pre-snap. New Orleans has a history of going after Tennessee prospects. Often has to throttle down to find the ball. The most likely projection for Jones is a starting returner and speed threat off the bench. Bears Senior Writer. For a player to have been in college long enough to get his masters, never crossing the 1,000-yard threshold is concerning. Even on his TD against Alabama, despite the ball being on the 11-yard line, the corner was giving him an 8-yard cushion. And while we did get back to a normal NFL Scouting Combine a few weeks ago, a fair amount of top prospects decided to forego working out in Indianapolis, instead choosing to hit the field at their respective school's pro day.. As the reports begin to surface, CBSSports.com will be tracking all of the results . Two reasons: 1) @VelusJr was second-fastest offensive prospect at Senior Bowl21.75 mph @ZebraTechnology2) routes like this pic.twitter.com/JE4BtS6Pkx, Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 20, 2022. In the passing game, teams will be drawn to his acceleration and ability to get down the field fast. Still, he possesses elite speed and showed real playmaking ability for the Vols in 2021. Plays too loose and allows cornerbacks to get the jump on him. The Bears on Friday bolstered their offense by choosing Tennessee receiver Velus Jones Jr. in the third round of the NFL Draft at No. For one, Jones does not possess a developed route tree. TreQuan Smith is set to become an unrestricted free agent, while Deonte Harris is a restricted FA. Did he keep them? He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds, the second-fastest among wide receivers and fourth-fastest among all participants at the NFL Scouting Combine. Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks. The Lions still need quite a bit of help at receiver. Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Kyle Lowry headline NBA injury report for Wednesday, March 1, Picks, predictions for Penn State vs. Northwestern on Wednesday, March 1, Picks, predictions for No. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). He was heavily involved in quick passes behind the line of scrimmage. Jones does offer immediate special teams value, though. We can make the argument that if he just landed in that scheme to begin with, he could have flourished; but hes only just now getting started. John Amis/AP. DeAndre Hopkins Dynasty Profile: Fantasy Outlook, Value, Projections, and Rankings, Keenan Allen Dynasty Profile: Fantasy Outlook, Value, Projections, and Rankings, Dalvin Cook Dynasty Profile: Fantasy Outlook, Value, Projections, and Rankings, James Conner Dynasty Profile: Fantasy Outlook, Value, Projections, and Rankings, Alvin Kamara Dynasty Profile: Fantasy Outlook, Value, Projections, and Rankings. Jones sprinted to a 4.31 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and he backs that speed up on film. Get the latest on Chicago Bears WR Velus Jones Jr. including news, stats, videos, and more on CBSSports.com . We are now in the throws of Pro Day season. Former Tennessee wide receiver and returner Velus Jones Jr. was ranked by Kiper Jr. as the fifth best returner in the 2022 NFL draft. Elite, darting stop-and-go acceleration with elite track speed. The New Orleans Saints would be a great landing spot for Tennessee prospect Velus Jones Jr., a rising prospect in the 2022 NFL draft. Jones also can fill multiple roles on a roster by returning kicks and punts. Copyright 2019-2023. Last year, as a receiver, he caught 62 passes for 807 yards and seven touchdowns. 22 TCU on Wednesday, March 1, Picks, predictions for Oklahoma vs. No. 90, Tennessee Titans, Tennessee doesnt have its second-round pick because of last years Julio Jones trade, so it could use this pick to add a playmaker for Ryan Tannehill. As I said, its a bit of a mess in the Big Easy. With the right NFL team, Jones could turn out to be a diamond in the rough. In his six years yes, six years Jones recorded almost 3,000 kick return yards while attending both USC (2016-2019) and Tennessee (2020-2021). Velus Jones Jr.s speed and explosiveness are undeniable. Jones sprinted to a 4.31 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and he backs that speed up on film. Sure, his speed is great. There is a path where he turns into the next Van Jefferson, as long as we see a marked improvement in his route running to get him to a similar level. Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, and KhaDarel Hodge are all set to become free agents in March. The most likely projection for Jones is a starting returner and speed threat off the bench. But hes a compact, physical receiver who was used as a jack of all trades for the Vols. Lets go to the film to see what he can add to an NFL roster. Draft Stock & Draft Projection. March 10, 2022 10:00 am PT. He may not have the immediate acceleration of some other stud speedsters, but once Jones gets rolling, he is . Tennessee football 's Velus Jones Jr. was selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 71st overall pick. 167) - 1 - Green Bay Packers (No. Jones stock rose during his final season at Tennessee. Crazy timed speed. Velus Jones Jr. is more of a return specialist than a wide receiver right now, but speed like his will always be a premium in the NFL. After opting to go defense with the first two picks, Bears general manager Ryan Poles went out an added a speedy receiver in Tennessee's Velus Jones Jr. with the 71st overall selection in the . He spent three years at Southern Cal and two years at Tennessee. He ended the season with 1,722 all-purpose yards, which was third in the SEC conference. Hes an unpolished route runner, but hes one of the best run-after-the-catch wideouts in this draft class. Jones spent over 80% of his time inside last season. Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks. His limitations in the passing game mean that he probably wont see the field much, but he could pull off a few big plays to help his team. 40-Yard dash in 4.31 seconds, the corner was giving him an cushion... 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