6 Bears on Thin Ice Heading Into the NFL Draft

4. Velus Jones, Jr., Wide Receiver

Justin Fields was unsuccessful in Chicago but the franchise deserves a lot of blame for that. They refused to get him the talent he needed until this past season when they traded for D.J. Moore and while he finally took some positive steps, it ultimately didn't matter since they were ready to select Caleb Williams.

After moving up for Fields in 2021, they added offensive lineman Teven Jenkins in the second round but the only wideout they selected to work with him was Dazz Newsome — a sixth-rounder from North Carolina. Then in 2022, they used their top two picks on defensive backs as they brought in Kyler Gordon at No. 39 and Jaquan Brisker at No. 48.

Chicago finally added a receiver at pick 71, which is where they took Velus Jones, Jr. While Jones had talent and ran a 4.31, he was a reach in Round 3 since he was seen as primarily a special teams player.

That's remained the case with the Bears as Jones has 1,042 yards on 38 kick returns compared to just 11 receptions for 127 yards and 17 rushing attempts for another 154. He scored a touchdown as a receiver and a runner during his rookie campaign but had none in 2023.

Jones finds himself even further down the depth chart after Chicago added Keenan Allen and the presence of Tyler Scott as a potential returner has him on thin ice.