Combine Phenom for Bears in Mock Draft

It took a strong senior season and the scouting combine but one receiver who has been trending up looked good enough to it the Bears in NFL Draft Bible's two-round mock draft.

NFL Draft Bible has conducted its first post-combine mock draft, a two-rounder and with the 39th pick landed the Bears Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones, who impressed at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Jones, a 5-foot-11 1/2, 204-pound former USC player transfered after four years in California and finally broke through as a contributor in a passing game in his second and final season with Tennessee in 2021.

"I came there for a reason, I stuck it out and look how things turned out," Jones told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. "Everything worked as planned."

Jones last week ran the second-fastest 40-yard time of all wide receivers at 4.31 seconds.

The selection of Jones would bring the Bears one of the nation's most consistent kick returners over a five-year period as he averaged 24.4 yards and had two TDs for 122 returns.

As a receiver, Jones had 62 catches for 807 yards and seven touchdowns for his final season. Before that, he had just 36 catches for four years at USC and then 22 for 280 yards and three TDs in his first year for Tennessee.

Jones didn't start to produce until he was moved by the Volunteer to slot receiver and the Bears are lacking the X-receiver for their offense if Allen Robinson does as expected and lands elsewhere in free agency. They did not apply a franchise tag to him for a second straight year by Tuesday's deadline, but were not expected to do it.

However, the Bears could also use another slot receiver even if they do have second-year player Dazz Newsome under contract. Newsome caught two passes as a rookie, so he has much to prove.

NFL Draft Bible's scouting report on Jones offered up something the new coaching regime wnats to see from receivers. It says he "competes as a blocker and with the ball in his hand."

One goal Bears coaches have mentioned for receivers is better blocking downfield in the running game, as well as in the short passing or screen game.

In making this pick, NFLDB had the Bears pass on Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean, North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson, Texas defensive tackle Demarvin Leal and wide receivers John Metchie III of Alabama and Alec Pierce of Cincinnati. The Bears have actually spoken with Watson twice, already, at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.

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