The 2022 NFL Draft class was full of talented wide receivers. Not only did six get selected in the first round, but another 11 were picked in the second and third rounds. One of those 11 wide receivers was Tennessee’s Velus Jones Jr.
Jones was a three-star recruit in 2016. He was the 79th-rated wide receiver and the 16th-rated player in the state of Alabama. Even as a three-star recruit, Jones received offers from several of the top programs in the country, including Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and USC. After several visits and decommitments, Jones ultimately picked USC. However, things didn’t work out for Jones in Southern California.
He saw the field in only one game as a freshman. Jones played in 35 games for USC over the next three years. However, he had only 36 receptions and one receiving touchdown in that span. After four disappointing years at USC, Jones transferred to Tennessee before the 2020 season.
In his first year with the Volunteers, Jones had a mediocre season with 22 receptions for 280 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. However, Jones stuck around for another year thanks to the NCAA’s COVID-19 eligibility waiver.
With his extra year of eligibility, Jones took a massive step forward in his play. He had 62 receptions for 807 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns last season. All three statistical numbers were more than his career total entering the year. The breakout season made Jones a third-round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The 2022 NFL Draft class was full of talented wide receivers. Not only did six get selected in the first round, but another 11 were picked in the second and third rounds. One of those 11 wide receivers was Tennessee’s Velus Jones Jr.
Jones was a three-star recruit in 2016. He was the 79th-rated wide receiver and the 16th-rated player in the state of Alabama. Even as a three-star recruit, Jones received offers from several of the top programs in the country, including Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and USC. After several visits and decommitments, Jones ultimately picked USC. However, things didn’t work out for Jones in Southern California.
He saw the field in only one game as a freshman. Jones played in 35 games for USC over the next three years. However, he had only 36 receptions and one receiving touchdown in that span. After four disappointing years at USC, Jones transferred to Tennessee before the 2020 season.
In his first year with the Volunteers, Jones had a mediocre season with 22 receptions for 280 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. However, Jones stuck around for another year thanks to the NCAA’s COVID-19 eligibility waiver.
With his extra year of eligibility, Jones took a massive step forward in his play. He had 62 receptions for 807 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns last season. All three statistical numbers were more than his career total entering the year. The breakout season made Jones a third-round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Velus Jones Jr. 2022 NFL Draft Profile
| Position |
WR |
| School |
Tennessee |
| Height |
6’0″ |
| Weight |
204 |
| 40-Yard Dash |
4.31 |
| Age |
24 |
| Year in School |
6 |
| Recruit Stars* |
3 |
| 2022 NFL Draft Pick |
Round 3, Pick 7 |
* Recruit Stars via 247Sports
Velus Jones Jr. College Statistics
|
Year
|
Games
|
Receptions
|
Targets
|
Yards
|
Yards/Rec
|
Catch %
|
TDs
|
|
2016
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
2017
|
13
|
6
|
11
|
46
|
7.7
|
54.6
|
0
|
|
2018
|
11
|
24
|
35
|
266
|
11.1
|
68.6
|
1
|
|
2019
|
11
|
6
|
6
|
35
|
5.8
|
100
|
0
|
|
2020
|
10
|
22
|
31
|
280
|
12.7
|
71
|
3
|
|
2021
|
13
|
62
|
83
|
807
|
13
|
75
|
7
|
Velus Jones Jr. Dynasty Fantasy Analysis
During the pre-draft process, Jones was considered a mid-round NFL Draft pick and a borderline pick in rookie drafts. Having only one year of meaningful production is a red flag. Another concern is age. After spending six years in college, Jones will turn 25 on May 11, making him one of the oldest rookies in the 2022 NFL Draft.
In a vacuum, Jones isn’t the most appealing rookie in fantasy drafts. However, his situation adds to his fantasy value.
The Bears let Allen Robinson walk in free agency this offseason. While they added Byron Pringle, David Moore, and Equanimeous St. Brown in free agency, the Bears have arguably the worst wide receiver unit in the NFL outside of Darnell Mooney. Furthermore, there are over 200 targets from last year’s team that are up for grabs.
While those targets will be spread out among the new additions, don’t expect Mooney to take many of the available targets. Last season, he finished 12th in the NFL with 140 targets and 11th with a 26.7% target share, according to PlayerProfiler.
Instead, expect Jones to pick up the majority of those available targets from last season. The trio of Pringle, Moore, and St. Brown have combined for one season with over 48 targets in their 10 combined years of NFL experience.
Jones has an ADP of 39.8, according to the Faceoff Sports Network. At that price, he is worth a dart throw selection in the fourth round.
The one year of production is a concern for Jones. Furthermore, at soon to be 25 years old, he’s much older than the average rookie and has limited upside. His breakout age is 24.3 according to PlayerProfiler. By comparison, Romeo Doubs‘ breakout age is 19.4, putting him in the 80th percentile. Currently, Doubs’ ADP is one spot higher than Jones’.
Where Jones will make his biggest impact is on special teams. He averaged 24.4 yards per kick return during his college career, including a career-high 27.3 yards per return average in 2021. Jones ran a 4.31 40-yard dash time at the combine. By comparison, Duvernay ran a 4.39 40 time in 2020.
However, Duvernay played only 34% of the snaps and had 26 targets as a rookie. He was buried on the depth chart behind Marquise Brown, Willie Snead, and others. Jones won’t have that problem in Chicago. Furthermore, both wide receivers were third-round picks. Thus, there isn’t enough draft capital to their name to keep them from getting replaced in a year or two if they don’t perform.
Should You Draft Him?
Jones will see a high volume of targets as a rookie to warrant a late-round dart throw selection. However, the Bears have a projected $97.2 million in cap space next offseason. Short of Jones having a terrific rookie season, he could find himself buried on the depth chart next year. If you draft Jones in your rookie draft, be sure to trade him at the end of the year for a better draft pick in the 2023 rookie draft.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
