Speed to Burn with Tennessee Receiver

The Bears finally found a wide receiver in Round 3 of the draft when they picked Velus Jones of Tennessee, who ran the second-fastest 40 time of players at his position at the combine.

USA Today

The Bears finally found a wide receiver in Round 3 of the NFL Draft at No. 71 overall with Tennessee burner Velus Jones.

At the scouting combine, Jones ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash. It was the second-fastest time among wide receivers and fourth-fastest time of all players.

The 6-foot, 204-pounder was one of the best kick returners in the country last year with a 27.3-yard average for 23 returns. He transfered to Tennessee in 2020 after four years at USC and averaged 24.4 yards for 122 kick returns.

As a receiver Jones made a huge step up in production. He never made more than 24 receptions until last year when he had 62 catches for 807 yards, averaging 13 yards and scored a career-high seven touchdowns.

Because he was in school six years, Jones is already 24 years old.

If the Bears had designs on other receivers earlier, they were thwarted. A total of 13 receivers went in the first two rounds, a record.

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