Velus Jones became a favorite of the Chicago Bears brass as the NFL draft neared a few months ago. They liked what they saw from him at the Senior Bowl and were equally excited after watching the Tennessee receiver scorch the 40-yard dash with a 4.31. The second-fastest time at the event. It was enough to convince them that he was worth their 3rd round pick in April despite misgivings about his advanced age of 25-years old.
A few weeks into offseason practices, they seem even more convinced it was the right decision. Jones makes plays each day, flashing the explosive potential he showcased in college. If that weren’t enough to get people excited, comments like this one from Bleacher Report draft expert Ian Wharton fan the flames a bit. He predicted Jones as the Bears’ surprise rookie gem for the upcoming season, even going so far as to make a notable comparison.
“The Chicago Bears had an interesting draft haul, as they added several older prospects to a rebuilding roster. One of those is third-round receiver Velus Jones Jr. The 25-year-old possesses 4.31-second 40-yard dash speed and can produce in multiple ways. He was a second-team All-SEC kick returner and posted 807 yards and seven scores as a receiver.
Chicago’s lack of playmaking at receiver outside Darnell Mooney entering the draft was worrisome. Jones has a similar athletic profile to Mooney’s and could complement free-agent addition Byron Pringle with his downfield speed. A few deep completions and solid kick returns would help this team tremendously.”
That may seem like a lazy comparison.
Don’t forget that the Bears were the team that drafted Darnell Mooney. It was basically the same scouting department that unearthed him in the 5th round two years ago that evaluated Jones too. So it is quite possible they reached a similar conclusion. While the bodies are slightly different (Mooney is shorter and lighter), their styles of play and speed do match up well.
If what he says holds up, then Chicago has not one but two genuine playmakers in their receiving corps. Both with the kind of vertical ability that fit quarterback Justin Fields to perfection. It comes down to whether Jones can master the route running like Mooney did when he arrived in the NFL. There is no telling how good this receiving corps can be if he does.
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Velus Jones has the same mindset as Mooney too.
He didn’t waste any time getting to work from the moment he arrived in Chicago. There haven’t been any days off. Every bit of spare time he has is devoted to studying the playbook and finding chemistry with Fields. The young quarterback has expressed excitement and optimism at his progress thus far. It sounds like the team already has a plan for how they want to use him this season.
Expect lots of quick slants, bubble screens, jet sweeps, and vertical shots. As he gains confidence inside the offense, his route tree should expand. With that will come more snaps. The Bears would love nothing better than to get the ball in his hands. History says good things happen when you do. Velus Jones is a threat to score every time he touches it.
It is okay to have reservations about him.
The track record for older rookies finding success in the NFL isn’t great. Still, few of those rookies have the athletic capability Jones does. If the Bears enact their plan for him as expected, he should have no problems making a serious contribution this coming season.
