When the Chicago Bears drafted Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. with the 71st pick in the 3rd round, people inside Halas Hall were thrilled. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was one. Quarterback Justin Fields was another. Of course, GM Ryan Poles was too. He felt he’d secured his offense some much-needed firepower in the passing game. Not to mention Jones’ added prowess as a kick returner. Yet few people outside the building were focused on that.
All most of them could talk about was his age. Jones will turn 25-years old on May 11th, making him the oldest rookie in the 2022 draft class. Most prospects range somewhere between 20 and 23-years old in the draft. There is a stigma on older rookies and how they have less time to make an impact in the NFL. The feeling is the Bears could’ve gotten somebody younger. Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com asked Poles about this. The young GM not only shrugged the concerns off but explained why it might work to the team’s advantage.
“I think for where we are as a team, it actually probably benefits us just to have more mature, game-ready, pro-ready players that are a little bit more experienced and mature. They’ve gone through some things. They’re a little bit more dependable, reliable, both on and off the field. So, I think that will benefit us for where we are. In terms of balancing, I think the draft alone will get back to where it was and the age curve will come back to what was normal.”
He is referring to the impact of COVID-19.
Several college players didn’t participate in the 2020 season due to the pandemic. As a result, they were granted an extra year of eligibility. Many took advantage of that opportunity and stayed in school, working on their game and improving their draft stock. Jones made the right decision. While he always stood out as a returner, he hadn’t done much as a receiver through five college seasons. Then in 2021, he finally broke out with 807 yards and seven touchdowns.
Together with his strong performance at the Senior Bowl, the Bears saw enough to realize he could be a good player for them. Better still, they wouldn’t have to wait to get him involved. He’s already a grown-up in every sense of the word. There isn’t much maturing he needs to do at this point. The only challenging step is learning the offense and forging a connection with Fields. Both can be done during his first season.
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Ryan Poles has some recent history on his side.
Jones is hardly the first player the Bears have drafted in their long history that was on the older side for a rookie. Two notable names were the same age as him when they entered the NFL. In 2013, the Bears selected Kyle Long in the 1st round out of Oregon. He was 24. So was Cody Whitehair when they took him out of Kansas State in 2016. It is fair to say both of those picks worked out pretty well.
Sure, there can be questions about Jones’ longevity in the NFL. Yet the reality is most NFL players are lucky to make it ten years in the league, regardless of what age they are. So if Ryan Poles and the Bears got five or six seasons of decent production out of him, there is no question that 3rd round pick could be called a success.
Like it or not, age is just a number.
Jones is still in his physical prime and should stay there for five years. That gives Chicago a solid window to make full use of his extensive talents. As long as that perspective is maintained, Bears fans should embrace what he can do.
