NFL Draft Profile: Velus Jones Jr., Wide Receiver, Tennessee Volunteers

NFL draft profile scouting report for Tennessee Wide Receiver, Velus Jones Jr.

The NFL Draft Bible | Jan 13, 2022

NFL Draft Profile: Velus Jones Jr., Wide Receiver, Tennessee Volunteers /

In this story:

Tennessee Volunteers

#1
Pos: WR
Ht: 5116
Wt: 204
Hand: 0968
Arm: 3078
Wing: 7348
40: 4.31
Bench: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Shuttle: N/A
Vert: 33"
Broad: 10'01"
DOB:
Eligibility: 2022
Saraland, AL
Southern California/Saraland High School

Velus Jones Jr. University of Tennessee Volunteers

One-Liner:

Slot receiver with average size and great speed. Projects as a deep threat and gunner.

Pros:

Average-sized slot receiver with great speed who operates on a primarily vertical route tree. Jones uses his great acceleration and speed to be a consistent vertical threat by eating up cushions and blowing past flat footed defenders. Above average hip sink and lower body flexibility allow him to perform speed cuts without losing significant momentum. Jones can hang on to the ball on passes slightly outside of his frame and maintains his balance to pick up yards after the catch. On screens and as a blocker he shows above average effort, lowering his shoulder for extra yards and competing.

Cons:

Lacking length prevents Jones from making contested catches or winning the football in the air due to his small catch radius. His ball tracking is below average as he does not consistently manage to run underneath the deep or time up the catch. Jones gets a lot of breathers which could be an indicator of subpar conditioning. As a route runner, he drifts upfield on sharp cuts, not showing the attention to detail and suddenness required to consistently separate underneath. Traffic over the middle throws off his route timing as he decelerates significantly to avoid contact. Lining up in the slot means he does not face press coverage. His lack of strength prevents him from having a significant impact as a blocker.

Summary:

Slot receiver with average size and great speed. Jones uses his speed to win vertically, he competes as a blocker and with the ball in his hands. Struggling to get in and out of sharp cuts limit his separation ability. Jones projects as a deep threat who can get on the field for shot plays or on clearouts. His speed and competitiveness should make him a good gunner.

Background:

Velus Jones Jr. attended Saraland high school in Alabama where he made 2015 Prep Star All-Southeast Region, USA Today All-Alabama first team, AL.com Super All-State first team, Alabama Sportswriters Association All-State Class 6A first team and All-Coastal Alabama first team. After high school, 247Sports ranked him as a 3-Star recruit, the 463rd-best recruit nationally, the 79th-ranked wide receiver recruit in the country and the 16th recruit in the state of Alabama.

Jones Jr. committed to USC and redshirted his true freshman year in 2016. In 2017, he appeared in all 14 games as a backup and finished with six receptions for 46 yards, five carries for 15 yards and 31 kickoff returns for 760 yards (24.5 avg). He ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in kickoff return average and 15th nationally in total kickoff return yardage. In 2018, he appeared in 12 games, started four and finished with 24 receptions for 266 yards with one touchdown, added six carries for 13 yards with one rushing score and totaled 21 kickoff returns for 483 yards (23.0 avg). In 2019, he appeared in 12 games with two starts and he returned 29 kickoffs for 704 yards and one score, averaged 24.28 yards per kick return, which ranked third in the Pac-12 and 32nd nationally. This earned him second-team All-Pac 12 honors as a return specialist. Furthermore, he caught six passes for 35 yards and finished the year with 739 all-purpose yards. In 2020, he transferred to Tennessee and played in all 10 games with six starts. He ranked third on the team in receptions (22) and receiving yards (280) while finishing second on the team in receiving touchdowns (3). He also led the SEC in kickoff return yards (398) and was second in the league in kickoff return average (22.11). In 2021, he appeared in 13 games and had 23 kick returns for 628 yards at 27.3 yards per return and one touchdown. Jones Jr. had his best receiving numbers too and finished with 62 catches for 807 yards and seven touchdowns. For his efforts, Jones Jr. was named the 2021 SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year and to the 2021 All-SEC First Team (AP, Coaches, Phil Steele).

Jones Jr.’s story as a transfer after four years is a unique one and one lesson he preaches is the value of practice habits and process over results, “Practice is really important, especially before a game. Even in the offseason, we're getting extra work. If you prepare yourself, like the rest will take care of itself. Don't worry about having a great game or having 200 yards, 12 catches. You know, let the game come to you. Just take it play by play.”

Grades:

Current Player Value/Potential Player Value

7.2/7.6

2/3/22 - Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. was asked about the connections he’s built at the Senior Bowl, “All the quarterbacks, we go through all the plays together, we’re building chemistry. Some of these guys we come to these games and they’ll be your brothers for a life time. So we’re all bonding, preparing with each other, getting each other better, going over plays together. So we’re just bonding throughout this week, not taking nothing for granted, worrying about everything one day at a time.”

*Go All Access - Subscribe to NFL Draft Bible today and receive a one-year subscription to Sports Illustrated the magazine, for FREE!