NFL scouts have been in draft meetings past couple weeks and hearing @Vol_Football WR Velus Jones Jr. is getting pushed up many boards.
Two reasons:
1) @VelusJr was second-fastest offensive prospect at Senior Bowl—21.75 mph @ZebraTechnology
2) routes like this 👇 pic.twitter.com/JE4BtS6Pkx— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 20, 2022
We’ve already discussed how the New Orleans Saints hiring wide receivers coach Kodi Burns may help give them an inside track on some prospects in the 2022 NFL draft, but one player to note in particular is Tennessee Volunteers wideout Velus Jones Jr. Listed at 6-foot-even and exactly 200 pounds, Jones broke out in 2021 during Burns’ first year at Tennessee after transferring from USC a season earlier.
He was an effective No. 2 receiver in the Vols’ offense, ranking second on the team in receptions (62), receiving yards (807), and touchdown catches (7) while playing in all 13 games. And his role in the NFL will likely be a complimentary weapon working across from an established No. 1 wideout like Michael Thomas. But what’s interesting is that Jones didn’t hit his stride until Burns started coaching him; in his first 46 games, most of them at USC, he totaled just 58 receptions for 627 yards and 4 touchdowns.
And then Jones parlayed that production into a big week at the Senior Bowl, impressing NFL scouts and coaches in attendance. Zebra Technologies tracking found that he was consistently one of the fastest players in practices during the week, and he’s put enough work into refining his routes to compete at the pro level. His experience fielding kickoffs (he’s returned 122 of them in 59 college games) should also help his case.
New Orleans has a history of going after Tennessee prospects. Alvin Kamara of course has been their most notable pickup from Rocky Top, but they’ve also gotten great returns on undrafted free agent finds like Marquez Callaway and Shy Tuttle. Ethan Wolf and Bryce Thompson are also returning for 2022 from the Saints practice squad.
Maybe Jones joins them. He would be a good pick on the third day of the draft, especially if the Saints add a more-established weapon sooner. Whether that means spending an early-round pick on a top prospect or investing in a veteran free agent, you’d like to see New Orleans double down on the receiving corps. Jones has real potential, but he’d be best served competing with Deonte Harty and Marquez Callaway in the rotation behind Michael Thomas and a new starter. Throwing him into the starting lineup right away wouldn’t serve anyone well.
