Our series profiling the 20 most important Chicago Bears players in 2023 continues by looking at wide receiver Velus Jones Jr.
As we wait for the Chicago Bears to open training camp we continue our series profiling the 20 most important players. Look at those who were already profiled here.
At number 17 we have Velus Jones Jr.
Jones was a controversial pick by general manager Ryan Poles in last year’s draft. Poles selected him in the third round, #71 overall. Most draft analysts gave him a fourth or fifth-round grade, however.
The red flags that analysts saw in him came out during the season. Despite spending six seasons in college, he had a limited route tree. He has blazing speed, having run a 4.32-40 in the NFL Combine.
His speed is certainly a great asset. However, if he cannot run a number of routes then it goes to waste.
Basically, the Bears tried to give the ball to Jones in open space and have him use his speed. There were a lot of jet sweeps and go routes. Those options didn’t really work, though.
For the season, Jones had 7 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. He only had 14 targets so that meant he only caught 50 percent of his targets. In the running game, he had 9 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown.
In college, Jones had success as a returner. With the Bears, he also returned kicks. He was among the NFL leaders in average kickoff return yards (27.6 yards per return). However, his punt returns weren’t as good. In fact, he had muffed punts that were key in two losses. The coaches had to take him out of punt returns as a result.
Jones is still an important asset to the team
Despite having a weak rookie campaign, Jones can still be important. Some say that the new rule on kickoffs that allow teams to fair catch and have the offense start at the 25 will restrict returns. That might not be the case, though.
Jones could take advantage of his speed and special teams taking a step back expecting fair catches. If the ball is short of the end zone, Jones could make the return and break off a long one. If the ball gets to the 2-yard line and he still averages 27 per return, then making the return could be a better option.
On offense, if Jones improves, he could be a key. Defenses will zero in on D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, and Chase Claypool. Additionally, Tyler Scott should attract some attention. If Jones throws his hat in the ring and becomes a dangerous target, the defense cannot defend everyone.
With Jones’ lack of targets last season, opponents will not spend a lot of time preparing for Jones. Jones wants to make teams pay for that.
The Bears already have a good amount of speed on offense. That speed puts a lot of pressure on the opposing defense. Jones is the fastest of the receivers so if he becomes a dependable target, that just gives defenses more headaches. The thought is that speed kills. If Jones uses his speed effectively, he could kill many defenses and special teams around the league.
Poles took a lot of heat for drafting Jones where he did. It got even hotter after Jones’ less-than-stellar rookie season. If Jones can put it together in 2023, he will validate Poles’ decision and be an integral part of the offense.
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