Draft Analysis: Velus Jones

Height: 6’0″
Weight: 204 lbs
College: Tennessee
Tape watched: Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas A&M 2020
NFL Comparison: A stronger, sturdier Ray-Ray McCloud

Pros

Athleticism/RAC
Velus Jones is special with the ball in his hands. From his dynamic ability to flip a field on special teams, to his one play touchdown skills, Jones will make plays that leave you speechless. He has elite speed at wide receiver and carries special lateral agility. He is sturdy enough to break tackles as well. His combine 40 yard dash of 4.31s will have a team jump to draft him.

Heavily used in the screen game, Jones frequently makes the first man miss, and sets up his blockers extremely well.

Versatility
Utilized at every receiver position, Velus Jones offers teams flexibility when looking to draft him. He also returned punts and kicks at a high level at Tennessee. He has two kick return touchdowns in his career, and averaged 15 yards per punt return last season. Jones is an ideal slot receiver in the NFL, but his speed will command attention on the perimeter.

Release
Jones excelled at his press release at the Senior Bowl practices. He showed a good ability to get to his route stem and open up his speed against good cornerbacks. He has quick footwork and leverages his pad and shoulder levels well while dealing with contact.

Midline

Blocking
Velus Jones shows the effort and ability needed to be an average blocking receiver in the NFL. He does struggle with over-committing and footwork during his stalk phase. He has the strength and aggression that will make coaches appreciative, however.

Both clips show Velus’ effort and “want-to” in the blocking game. He will look to run through corners if possible. His second clip shows his good drive phase, and his ability to improve his extended arms and leaning position.

Velus fails to close the gap and break down for his block.

Route Running
Jones is often eager to break off his route, or round his routes altogether, giving the defense time to break on the ball. On deep routes, Jones could have worked to protect the sideline and stack defenders better.

Cons

Contested Catches
Jones struggles mightily during contested catches. He is effected with contact and opts to use his body to catch the football when his hands could better protect the catch. He did not look comfortable running routes across the middle of the field under linebackers.

Route Tree
Playing in a heavy, quick hitting, RPO offense left Jones as the screen and hitch guy most times. Tennessee didn’t open up the field for Jones until the end of the season in 2021. There is not a lot of tape of Jones running nuanced routes and reading coverages.

Overview

Suddenly on everyone’s radar, Velus Jones enters a draft class as a dark horse, big-play lottery ticket. A blazing 40 yard dash time that won’t be able to be overlooked, Jones can offer dynamic options at wide receiver. He has good hands in space, and can lock down special teams’ jobs. With work in a true NFL offense, his routes can improve and offer even more versatility. Jones projects as a solid third wide receiver option with upside.