Chicago Bears daily 2017 NFL draft prospect: ECU wide receiver Zay Jones
In our series looking at different draft prospect targets for the Chicago Bears, we take a look at Eastern Carolina wide receiver Isaiah “Zay” Jones.
Name: Isaiah “Zay” Jones
School: Eastern Carolina
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 202 pounds
The Chicago Bears have some decisions to make at wide receiver. Alshon Jeffery may leave via free agency. Kevin White missed practically the entire two seasons in his career. Also, Eddie Royal is a certain cut, given that he’s missed 14 games in the two seasons he’s been in Chicago. It seems that Cameron Meredith is the only dependable receiver on the roster at the moment.
With the money the Bears have available, they will go after a receiver. However, that receiver, however, may be Jeffery. Aside from that, they may go after players who provide depth instead of impact. That leaves them with the draft.
Zay Jones is a man who can provide impact to an anemic Chicago Bears offense. He doesn’t have the elite speed of other receivers, but he works extremely hard and finds himself open. Even when he isn’t open, he outworks the defender to catch the ball anyway.
Jones is the FBS leader in receptions with 399. In addition, he broke the record for most receptions in a single season in 2016 with 158. For his career, he totaled 4,279 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Of course, playing for a small school like Eastern Carolina brings the requisite question about easy competition. Jones, though, made an impression when he played in the Senior Bowl. He got his chance to compete with top talent, and he shined, catching six passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. He also had two other touchdowns taken away.
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Jones played for the North team, coached by John Fox and his assistants. He left an impression on the Chicago Bears coaching staff. During the NFL Network broadcast of the game, Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains spoke highly of Jones and fellow receiver Cooper Kupp.
"Those two have had a really impressive week. They’re really football-smart guys and they’ve shown up (on game day) and showed up all week. It wasn’t a surprise to us that they’ve played the way they have."
Especially relevant is Jones’ catching ability. When scouts say someone has good hands, it doesn’t necessarily mean he uses good technique to catch the ball well. Some receivers wait for the ball to get to them. On the other hand, Jones goes after the ball and snatches it from the air. That makes it more difficult for defensive backs to get to the ball. He has great toughness and is willing to go over the middle into traffic to make a catch.
Furthermore, Jones has great character. Everyone in the ECU program rave about him. He also has football in his genes. His father, Robert Jones, played for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s and won three Super Bowls. His uncle, Jeff Blake, played quarterback in the NFL for 14 seasons.
Some may look at Jones’ average yards per catch (10.7) and question that, but the reason for that is because ECU did not have a good rushing attack. They used Jones a lot on screens, short crosses, and shallow drags. Don’t get it wrong, however, as he could go deep as well.
Next: Bears full seven round mock draft
In order for the Chicago Bears to improve their receiver corps, they could do draft a receiver like Zay Jones. His ability to play outside or slot, along with his great hands and wonderful character adds up to a receiver with long-term potential in the NFL.