NFL Draft 2022 Scouting Report: WR Velus Jones, Tennessee

*WR grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, Wonderlic test results leaked, etc. We will update ratings as new info becomes available.

*WR-B stands for "Big-WR," a classification we use to separate the more physical, downfield/over-the-top, heavy-red-zone-threat-type WRs. Our WR-S/"Small-WRs" are profiled by our computer more as slot and/or possession-type WRs who are typically less physical and rely more on speed/agility to operate underneath the defense and/or use big speed to get open deep...they are not used as weapons in the red zone as much. 

I’ve scouted Velus (VAY-luss) Jones tape more than 98% of this WR draft class. Why? Because the analysts and media keep telling me how great he is, how Kadarius Toney-like he is…but I scouted him first pre-Senior Bowl, then at the Senior Bowl, then pre-Combine, then at the Combine, and then several times after – and I’ve never come close to seeing Kadarius Toney.   I’ve never seen much of anything to get excited about.

I get that he’s fast (ran a 4.31 40-time) but when I see him on tape, I don’t see a 4.3 guy just running by and around everyone. I just see a solid, straight-ahead generic fast guy who is worthy of an NFL look, and maybe a roster spot…but I don’t see some looming star WR, not at all.

Much is made of his 4.31 40-time, and that’s great…but no one discusses his dreadful 4.51 Pro Day shuttle time or awful 7.32 three-cone.

I didn’t want to waste a lot of time on a Plain Jane, vanilla WR prospect with nice straight speed but otherwise bland. I watched several of his game tapes and didn’t see anything great or horrible…more ‘meh’. But I just rewatched the cut-ups of his Senior Bowl practice one-on-one versus the various CBs, watching Jones go through along with teammates Calvin Austin, Jalen Tolbert, Danny Gray, and Dontario Drummond…and Velus may have been the dullest of all of them (actually, Tolbert was).

Every time I try to embrace the national narrative on Jones…wondering if maybe I’m missing something, watching a bit more tape – I never am satisfied. I have the same opinion of him today as the first time I watched him in January = ‘meh’.

I know he’s fast, clocked 40-time, but a great comparison/explanation for what I see…when I watched the Senior Bowl practice tape/battles, 4.3 running Velus didn’t evoke any excitement or me thinking – that’s a 4.3 guy right there, wow! However, when 4.3 running Calvin Austin took his turns…I was like ‘wow’, I need to study this guy more. I could see the visual and potential of real/raw/difference making speed with Austin…I never do with Velus. He’s fast enough, but not a game changer/playmaker/wow WR.

On top of everything else with Jones, he played six seasons of college ball…including a redshirt season and then took advantage of an extra COVID year. He’s going to be 25.5 years old this rookie NFL season…that’s not long-term view/draft economics exciting either.

Velus is a nice guy, hard worker, NFL-worthy…but a star is not born here…no matter what Chicago Bears fan sites bellow.

Velus Jones, Through the Lens of Our WR Scouting Algorithm:

 -- 15 career rushes for 59 yards, 3.9 yards per carry…he should have killed it running jet sweeps in college with his clocked speed. But he didn’t. He did return a couple kicks for TDs, which goes with the narrative – straight line fast and dreadful east/west agility. Give him a lane to sprint through and he’ll go pretty well. Ask him to weave in traffic and make great cuts/routes, he just doesn’t have that talent, he’s not as shifty as he needs to be.

 -- Five seasons of backup or also-ran/ignored WR status in college, for USC and Tennessee…and then a mild breakout in 2022. He’s never shown ‘star’ flashes…yet analysts swear he’s awesome from Bears camp. OK…sure.

2022 Combine/Pro Day measurables:

5’11.6”/204, 9.8” hands, 30.8” arms

4.31 40-time, 2.50 20-yd, 1.46 10-yd

18 bench reps, 32” vertical, 10/0” broad jump

4.51 shuttle, 7.32 three-cone

The Historical WR Prospects to Whom Velus Jones Most Compares Within Our System:

Velus as the next Kenny Stills makes a lot of sense – NFL-worthy, though bland/underwhelming…but the media liked him a lot, for a while.

*A score of 7.0+ is where we start to take a Small-WR prospect more seriously. A score of 8.50+ is where we see a stronger correlation of a Small-WR going on to become NFL good/great/elite. A score of 10.00+ is more rarefied air in our system and indicates a greater probability of becoming an elite NFL Small-WR.

All of the WR ratings are based on a 0–10 scale, but a player can score negative, or above a 10.0 in certain instances.

Overall WR score = A combination of several on-field performance measures, including refinement for strength of opponents faced. Mixed with all the physical measurement metrics, rated historically in our database.

“Power-Strength” = A combination of unique metrics surrounding physical-size profiling, bench press strength, etc.  High scorers here project to be more physical, better blockers, and less injury-prone.

“Speed-Agility” = A combination of unique metrics surrounding speed, agility, physical size, mixed with some on-field performance metrics. High scorers here project to have a better YAC and show characteristics to be used as deep threats/create separation.

“Hands” = A combination of unique metrics surrounding on-field performance in college, considering the strength of opponents played. Furthermore, this data considers some physical profiling for hand size, etc. High scorers here have a better track record of college statistical performance, and overall this projects the combination of performance and physical data for the next level.

2022 NFL Draft Outlook:

Taken in the 3rd-round of the 2022 NFL Draft…#71, almost the 2nd-round. Utterly ridiculous scouting by the Bears’ new GM, especially when you factor age on top of the draft economics…the new Bears’ GM is coming off to me as a loudmouth who isn’t even in the same zip code of GM talent as the new Vikings hire for 2022. Nor can he hold the jock of the new Lions’ GM. The Bears are doomed to the NFC North basement for years to come.

If I were an NFL GM, I would not have taken Velus Jones seriously for the NFL. He’s closer to late day three than 2nd-round worthy.

NFL Outlook:   

Jones is mature, likeable, hardworking, so I’m sure he’ll stick to a roster…well, he will with a #71 pick label for sure, for 3-4 years. But he could possibly be useful on kick and punt returns and as a #4-5-6 WR. I think Velus will be forgotten in short order. Many more interesting WR talents were drafted after Velus Jones, and some were signed as UDFAs.