2022 NFL Draft Results: Tennessee WR Velus Jones Jr. goes 71st overall to the Bears

The second Tennessee player has come off the board on day two of the 2022 NFL Draft. Wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. heard his name called with the 71st overall pick, and is headed to Chicago to join the Bears.

The USC transfer made the most of his time at Tennessee, turning himself into a legitimate offensive weapon after specializing as a returner as a Trojan. He continued to make an impact as a return man for Tennessee, but he emerged into something much more.

The Josh Heupel hire took him to another level, and his decision to return for his super senior season paid off in a big way. Jones became the second option in a stout Tennessee passing attack, catching 62 passes for just over 800 yards. He scored seven times, working in both the underneath game and downfield attack for the Volunteers.

Jones boosted his stock at the NFL Combine by running a 4.31 in the 40 yard dash. While he has that speed, he wasn’t used as a traditional burner by Heupel and company. In the NFL, he’s going to make a splash instantly as a return man for the Bears, and the depth chart ahead of him is favorable for some early playing time at receiver. Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown will be ahead of him to start.

Now we wait on landing spots for Matthew Butler and Cade Mays.