Chicago Bears: Is Velus Jones Jr. on the hot seat?

When you look back at the 2022 Chicago Bears draft class, there were a lot of quality selections.

Jaquan Brisker proved to be a legitimate playmaker in year one. Kyler Gordon overcame his rocky start by grabbing three interceptions over his final 8 games, and sixth round selection Braxton Jones turned out to be one of the steals of the draft, starting all 17 games for Chicago.

Velus Jones Jr. was the lone 2022 draft pick who didn’t meet or exceed expectations. Drafted into one of the least talented wide receiver rooms in the entire league, Jones was expected to make an impact immediately. This didn’t end up happening, as Jones battled through a hamstring injury that cost him the first three games of the season.

After returning from injury, Jones never really looked like the explosive, big play athlete that he was at the University of Tennessee. For the majority of the season, Jones was not used as much more than just the Bears kick returner.

Jones was initially given the punt return job as well, but after two fumbles on just five returns, he was quickly removed from that role. As the primary kick returner, Jones was actually quite solid. He ranked second in the NFL in kick returns of 40+ yards. This was achieved while only returning 22 kicks, a lower number than the others near the top.

While it was refreshing to see Jones make an impact in the return game, his lack of production on the offensive side of the ball is what will have him fighting to keep his roster spot this summer.

In the 12 games that Jones was active for, he only earned 16 offensive touches, for a total of 210 yards. This averages out to only 17.5 net YPC. Not an ideal number for a third-round selection playing in a poor surrounding unit.

The Bears wide receiver room also saw a complete turnover this offseason, as Ryan Poles acquired superstar D.J. Moore from Carolina, as well as drafted University of Cincinnati speedster Tyler Scott. Both of these players are already slated in front of Jones on the depth chart before summer camp has even begun.

2022 Bears receivers Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney are both looking to bounce back in 2023, as both players are entering the final year of their contracts. With all these talented playmakers now crowding the receiver room, it’s tough to see where Jones would see meaningful reps this year.

It might be hard to believe that a third-round pick could be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot before his second year even starts, but it has happened in the past. Besides butchering a draft selection, keeping a player around purely because of where he was drafted is one of the worst things a GM can do.

Velus Jones Jr’s production as a kick returner is likely what would keep him on the roster in 2023. However, if Jones wants to carve out a career longer than just a couple of seasons, he’s going to have to produce on the offensive side of the ball as well.