Velus Jones had plenty of critics come out of the woodwork when the Chicago Bears drafted him. The primary concerns came from two areas. One was his age. He turned 25 shortly after the draft. The other was his lack of productivity in college. While he was an outstanding return specialist, he only had one good year as a receiver for Tennessee. Some experts had reservations about whether he could genuinely blossom at the position.
The biggest dig on him was his route running ability. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com said he wasn’t “fundamentally sound” in that department. Draft Network said his cuts lacked sharpness and tended to “coast” on turns. Worst of all, there wasn’t much diversity in his route tree. Most of his catches came when space was manufactured for him. That wasn’t going to fly in the NFL.
It seems he took those criticisms to heart.
Jones showcased some of his newfound route-running prowess in early training camp practices. Cameras caught him executing one at the expense of top Bears draft pick Kyler Gordon. After getting off the line clean, Jones looks like he’s about to run an out route. He sells it beautifully with a head fake, then cuts back inside, creating excellent separation for the completion. Gordon had no chance at a play.
There are plenty of fast receivers that come into the NFL. The tricky part for all of them is figuring out how to harness that speed through precise route-running. Many of them aren’t able to do that. Jones, to his credit, understands this. He mentioned as much in early interviews. He’s been working tirelessly on expanding his route tree since he started preparing for the draft months ago. These are the results thus far. It is hard not to be impressed with his progress.
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Perfect deep ball and over the shoulder catch from Justin Fields to Velus Jones. Kyler Gordon in coverage pic.twitter.com/ikdKQyUqHN
— Chicago Football Connection (@CFCBears) July 30, 2022
That Velus Jones moment has been one of many.
It’d be one thing to beat Gordon on a single play in practice. Such things can happen. It’s another thing when he does it repeatedly. Jones also scorched the cornerback the day prior and did the same to other cornerbacks on Saturday. This is what they call a trend. He isn’t just beating guys with his exceptional speed. He is figuring out how to get himself open with cuts, fakes, and dropping his hips.
Things should only improve with more time and work. Velus Jones doesn’t strike as somebody who gets complacent. His work ethic was evident from the moment he walked into Halas Hall. The constant outside chatter about his shortcomings is easy fuel for the fire. There is no telling how big his role will be this year, but the Bears coaching staff has big plans for getting him involved.
The more he shows he can do, the more targets he’s likely to get.
He already has a pre-built connection with Justin Fields. The quarterback played a part in the Bears drafting him. Their chemistry has only improved in the months following. Most would agree that the hierarchy goes Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle, and then Jones. Don’t be shocked if the rookie overtakes Pringle by the end of November.
