Player: Velus Jones
Team: Chicago Bears
Pick: 71st Overall (Round 3 // Pick 7)
On the latest episode of the Razzball Fantasy Football Podcast Bobby LaMarco is joined by Razzball’s own B_Don. B_Don jumps on the show to talk about the Bears’ new WR Velus Jones and his fit in Chicago. To hear our full analysis, check out the YouTube video included with this article. And see where Jones ranks on our new consensus rookie rankings for 2022 fantasy football dynasty leagues and 2022 fantasy football ADP pages!
In the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Tennessee WR Velus Jones. Jones is a unique prospect as he enters the NFL at 25 years old after spending four seasons at USC (one redshirt) and two seasons at Tennessee. The last year of eligibility was granted to Jones after NCAA gave players an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jones didn’t disappoint in his final season as his 62-807-7 receiving line was better than his 58-627-4 combined line in his first four-plus seasons. Now those improved numbers don’t necessarily jump out at you, but when you combine them with a 99th percentile 40 – yard dash (4.31) and 97th percentile speed score (116.6), NFL teams will take notice. This athleticism has him linked to some decent NFL prospects including Van Jefferson, Marvin Jones, and Jeremy Maclin according to playerprofiler.com.
Now officially in Chicago, the question is, can Jones emerge as a reliable threat next to incumbent #1 WR Darnell Mooney? The Chicago offense is going through a transition as they brought in new OC Luke Getsy. Getsy has spent most of his time working with the Packers spending seven of the last eight years in Green Bay. During his time in Green Bay, rookie WRs haven’t flourished in year one. Notable players like Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Amari Rodgers didn’t see much playing time as the Packers opted for more veteran options. Jones coming in as a mature 25-year-old prospect could help expedite that process. Finally, the Packers during those eight seasons Getsy was on the staff saw a second fantasy viable WR2 five times with four of them finishing inside the top 36.
Currently, Jones’ redraft ADP sits outside the top 200 overall. Based on the history of rookie success under Getsy and the uncertainty of how 2nd-year QB Justin Fields is going to progress in a new scheme, it seems like fading Jones is probably for the best in year one.
In dynasty rookie rankings, Jones sits as the 42nd overall pick. This draft cost seems reasonable as it will take little to no draft capital to acquire him in the later rounds. Plus, if Fields bounces back in 2021, Jones could be the #2 in a scheme that has a long history of producing multiple fantasy-relevant WRs. Watch the video above for our full analysis or listen to the audio-only below!
Sources: Razzball, Player Profiler, RotoHeat, Fantasy Pros, Pro Football Reference, Pro Football Focus, Spotrac, Overthecap, Ourlads, Bestball 10s, Underdog Fantasy, Sleeper, Yahoo, ESPN and NFC
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