Getty Justin Fields hopes to build a rapport with rookie WR Velus Jones Jr.
The 2022 NFL draft is history, and the Chicago Bears selected a total of 11 players after general manager Ryan Poles traded back multiple times in later rounds, nearly doubling the six picks the team had initially.
Now that a little time has passed, more details are emerging about who the team valued highly — and who it didn’t.
According to Bears insider Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog, the Bears had quarterback Justin Fields’ former teammate at Ohio State, Chris Olave, rated as their No. 1 wide receiver in the draft, and they felt new Tennessee Titans wideout Treylon Burks might have the highest upside.
Considering how badly Fields needs receivers to throw to, many Bears fans wanted the team to trade up in order to secure one, the way their NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers, did when they moved up in Round 2 to select North Dakota State’s Christian Watson. Hughes shared some revealing details as to why Poles and company didn’t do that.
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Hughes: Bears Didn’t Rate Certain WRs as Highly as Other Teams
According to Hughes, the Bears weren’t as high on the likes of Watson or Georgia’s George Pickens as other squads were — not high enough to trade up for them, anyway.
“As the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft rolled along, there were receivers available for the Chicago Bears,” Hughes wrote on May 9. “The Packers moved up – something Ryan Poles was NOT going to do – for Christian Watson. Many fans were calling for George Pickens, a player one scout called ‘a turd’ during a text conversation with DBB.”
Hughes also revealed what the Bears thought of this year’s top wide receivers:
“The truth is that while many were calling this draft deep at wide receiver, the Bears (and several other clubs) didn’t particularly agree with that assessment. They rated (Garrett) Wilson, (Jameson) Williams, and Olave highly, the latter being their top player at the position. They liked the polish of (Jahan) Dotson and thought Burks might have the highest upside in the class. But they knew they were not in play for any of those players, and saw the gap between that group and the next group as cavernous.”
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Bears Think Rookie WR Velus Jones Jr. Will Make ‘Immediate Impact’
While Chicago didn’t take a receiver in the first two rounds, the team snatched Tennessee’s Velus Jones Jr. in the third round at No. 71 overall. Hughes reported new Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had “significant input” in the selection of Jones, noting the Bears think the rookie wideout will make an “immediate impact.”
The 6-foot, 200-pound Jones has a nice size-speed combination that made him a YAC monster in college. He averaged 8.3 yards after the catch in 2021, which ranked 16th in the nation, per PFF. He also racked up 700 yards in the slot and dropped three passes on 81 targets. His 4.31-second 40-yard dash was second amongst all WRs at the 2022 combine, and he could fill multiple roles on offense.
He should fit in nicely with a group that includes Darnell Mooney and Byron Pringle, and he figures to play a part in the return game, as well. Jones had two kickoff returns for touchdowns in college, and he averaged 24.4 yards per kickoff return and 15.1 yards per punt return as a senior.
It remains to be seen what kind of impact Jones will have, but it’s clear the Bears like his potential, and he should have multiple opportunities to showcase it.
For his part, the rookie WR is excited for the opportunity.
#Bears WR Velus Jones Jr’s.: locker is next to Justin Fields’:
“That means a lot. Obviously they see something in me. I was the only wide receiver chosen in (the Bears) draft. Building a bond is important.”
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