After using their first two draft picks on defense, the Chicago Bears finally got quarterback Justin Fields a weapon in Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. with the 71st overall pick. Tracking where Velus Jones Jr. could be drafted in the 2022 NFL mock draft. 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. Take a shot on the speed of Jones in fantasy drafts and hope a team is patient enough to work through the growing pains at receiver. Runs crisp routes with sharp cuts. But hell need to perform on offense to extend his career. Jones has been a steady riser in draft circles due to his performance at the Senior Bowl, and this should continue assuming he tests well at the NFL Combine assuming we have an NFL Combine to scout. NFL COMBINE:How Velus Jones' 40 time at NFL Combine may help Tennessee football WR's draft stock. OVERALL. View fantasy football projections for Velus Jones Jr. (Chicago Bears). Began his career at USC before transferring to Tennessee in 2020. All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Velus Jones This is also where things get a bit trickier from an evaluation standpoint. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (PA/OH) or 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). He earned his undergraduate degree from USC and completed his masters at Tennessee. . However, USC has been loaded with WR talent, making it difficult for Jones to break through. Plays fast and confident. Scouting Report: Summary. Finally, the Chicago Bears got some wide receiver help for quarterback Justin Fields. Chargers Scouting Report: Tennessee WR Velus Jones Jr. Cole Topham. In the latter rounds of fantasy, where we are betting on profiles and talent, Jones makes sense as a player who will make the 53-man roster. Pro Football Network, LLC. That being said, Jones is not a complete receiver right now. Good contact balance with the ball in his hands. 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. That rings true both with and without the ball in his hands, making Jones as much of a deep threat as he is a yards-after-catch weapon. With the right NFL team, Jones could turn out to be a diamond in the rough. The 2022 NFL draft will take place April 28-30 in Paradise, Nevada. Where he really stood out was on special teams as a kick returner. Current. 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. DCS chief: Tenn. has stopped housing kids in offices in all but one county, How Velus Jones' 40 time at NFL Combine may help Tennessee football WR's draft stock, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The change came in the way he was utilized at Tennessee. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Also, Tennessee brought him into the slot, which is where he projects in the NFL. So there's a question of whether he can improve much more or if he's close to his ceiling. Often has to throttle down to find the ball. Jones speed and his ability to play through contact make himan intriguing option for a creative offensive play-caller. Tennessee wide receiver/return specialist Velus Jones Jr. is working out at the NFL Scouting Combine this week in hopes of convincing a team to draft him.. Jones, a 6-foot, 200-pounder, was a 2021 . With the NFL Draft closing in, which teams make the most sense for Jones as projected landing spots? Jones ranked 182nd on Bruglers big board. If Jones can get on an NFL team who already has a dominant X receiver, he can be a very productive complementary piece from the slot and on special teams. 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 . There are some prospects who rise their stock throughout the draft process; Velus Jones Jr is one of those guys. 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. On the boundary, its either a hitch, deep post, or a vertical route. Yahoo fa parte della famiglia di brand di Yahoo. 11 Kansas State on Wednesday, March 1, Jalen Carter charged with misdemeanors in traffic death near Georgia campus, Fantasy Basketball Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Targets, Values for March 1. Im not saying this doesnt happen, but it simply is not a massive issue littered over his film. Sure, his speed is great. The 6-foot, 200-pounder caught 120 passes for 1,434 yards and 11 touchdowns. Jones would fit right in for the Patriots on offense and special teams. He finished as the FBS active leader with 2,973 kick return yards in his career. The Bears were looking for speed and they found it in Jones, who ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash. Maybe Jones joins them. Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks. With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team . One of their top ways to get Jones the ball was to stack him and another receiver on the far boundary. Jones turns 25 in a few weeks, which turned off some teams. Former Tennessee Volunteer Wide Receiver Velus Jones Jr. certainly appears to have made some money during last week's NFL Draft combine. Former Tennessee speedster Velus Jones Jr. revealed he was in Green Bay on Tuesday, April 5 when he shared a . He may not have the immediate acceleration of some other stud speedsters, but once Jones gets rolling, he is tough to catch from behind. The Lions still need quite a bit of help at receiver. 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. DraftKings operates pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario. Returns, rushing and receiving has allowed Jones to rack up over 4,700 all-purpose yards. Those little nuances are how high-level receivers get separation. Most of the time, he was out there for the quick pass pseudo screen. Jones, who will be 25 years old when the 2022 season begins, is lightning quick (4.31 40 at the combine) and will help in the return game. -Kiper, Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports): No. An impressive athlete with very quick acceleration to reach his top speed quickly and stretch the field. Jones generated 2.67 yards per route and a 131.0 passer rating on passes thrown his way. 9 3/4 He spent three years at Southern Cal and two years at Tennessee. So there are questions of whether he can improve much more. In his four years at USC, Jones recorded just 347 yards. 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. Comfortable running vertical routes. We break down Tennessee Velus Jones Jr. with a scouting report and fantasy football outlook heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Doesnt quite play to that level. He was clocked as the second-fastest offensive player at the Senior Bowl, according to Zebra Technology, which measures players speed in pads in live action. He led the SEC in kick return average (26.2 yards) and punt return average (15.1) and ranked third in all-purpose yards per game (132.5). Finally, some help for Justin Fields. Follow full coverage of Velus Jones Jr. during the 2022 NFL Draft on ESPN.com. Jones speed, elusiveness and acceleration make him a good fit as a slot receiver. If he was younger, hed have gone much earlier. "By the beach," Jones said, "get away from everything and enjoy this moment with close friends and family.". That said, hes an explosive pass-catcher with elite speed who should help Darnell Mooney challenge opposing defenses. Jones appeared in 61 games with 21 starts over six seasons at USC (2016-19) and Tennessee (2020-21). Jones showed in Senior Bowl workouts that he can adjust his body well and utilize his speed to beat defenders for catches. Chicago isnt concerned about Jones being a 25-year-old rookie and is fond of his run-after-the-catch ability. And if there were any questions that he only has track speed, Jones was just as fast in game situations. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. 71 overall . Why Tennessee offensive lineman Cade Mays' draft stock is unpredictable at NFL Scouting Combine. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. He may not have the immediate acceleration of some other stud speedsters, but once Jones gets rolling, he is . He showed progress in that area late in his college career, which is why his receiving production rose last season. Fantasy Impact 167) - 1 - Green Bay Packers (No. 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. He finished last season as the FBS active leader with 2,973 kick return yards in his career and participated in the Senior Bowl. Special with the ball in his hands. And then Jones parlayed that production into a big week at the Senior Bowl, impressing NFL scouts and coaches in attendance. Last year, as a receiver, he caught 62 passes for 807 yards and seven touchdowns. Tennessee wide receiver/return specialist Velus Jones Jr. is working out at the NFL Scouting Combine this week in hopes of convincing a team to draft him.. Jones, a 6-foot, 200-pounder, was a 2021 . McShay's NFL draft All-Satellite team: The 2022 class' best playmakers in space . As the saying goes, if hes even, hes leavin. This speed is how he creates separation both off the line and in the middle of the route. The draft begins April 28. tight end Cole Kmet and wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. speak with the media in the locker room following the Bears' Week 18 loss to . He offers little to sell his route to the DB. GRADE: 6.4 (High . Now being mocked to go in the second or third round. Covers a lot of ground in the short half of the field and is slippery after the catch. Very good body control and smooth movements. It took until his 2021 season at Tennessee to put it all together, recording 62 receptions for 807 yards and 7 touchdowns. We offer recommendations from over 100 fantasy football experts! Listed at 6-foot . Good effort and technique as a blocker for his size. So, its fair to say that he has some experience with the ball in his hands. If his pre-draft process continues to go well, he could climb . Sometimes, that is because there are some speedsters who can only run fast when going in a straight line. This also helped to hide one of Jones issues, albeit a rather large one. . They also addressed a need on special teams by nabbing arguably the best returner in college football, who averaged 132.5 all purpose-yards per game in 2021. The most likely projection for Jones is a starting returner and speed threat off the bench. But his route-running, though improved in the past year, is still seen as a weakness. Jones returned kicks in all five seasons he played, as well as returned punts for Tennessee in 2021. Per maggiori informazioni sulle modalit di utilizzo dei dati, consulta la nostra Informativa sulla privacy e lInformativa sui cookie. April 4, 2022 7:52 am ET. Jones Jr. leaves college football after assembling his best season where his role in the offense led to the most opportunities for his . 2, but New Orleans needs someone on the interior. Jones could step right in and make a difference as a return man. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA (select parishes)/MD/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. 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. Now theyll have to figure out how hell be utilized as a weapon for quarterback Justin Fields. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. He brings an element of speed you cant teach and instantly makes your roster better. Willing to go up and attack the ball. Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks. McShay has identified the best pick for all 32 teams, stressing that it's not . Jones could fit the mold. Mock Draft Database Sites; NFL NBA NHL MLB. Velus Jones Jr. WR; Senior; 5-11, 204 lbs; Tennessee; Scouts Grade; Position Rank; Overall Rank; Arm Length 30-5/8" Hand Size 9-1/4" 40-YD Dash 4.31; Conference TBD; 2022 Draft Pick Info . 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