30 Days of Colts' Fits: Velus Jones Jr, WR, Tennessee

The 2022 NFL Draft is officially just a month away. In order to help you all along until draft day, I decided to start a daily prospect spotlight series to talk about some players that the Colts could target next month.

The players mentioned in this series will be players that I have either heard that the team is really high on, or are players that just make way too much sense for the team based on fit/past draft history.

Next up on the countdown to Draftmas is Tennessee Wide Receiver Velus Jones Jr.

Background

Jones Jr is a former three star recruit that originally decided to attend USC out of high school. He spent four years with the program (becoming great friends with current Colts' WR Micheal Pittman Jr) before opting to transfer to Tennessee to close out his career.

He put together a very solid six years in college, finishing with a total of 120 receptions for 1,434 yards (12 yards per catch) and 11 touchdowns as a receiver. He did most of his damage on special teams though, as he averaged over 24 yards per return in his career (along with having two return touchdowns).

Jones Jr finished as a three-time All-Pac 12 honoree with USC, as well as a two-time All-SEC honoree with Tennessee. He was invited to the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl after his final season, where he put on a show for the NFL scouts in attendance.

He is also an accomplished player off of the field, earning his Master's Degree from Tennessee in 2021 for agricultural leadership, education and communications.

Really nice red zone rep here from @Vol_Football WR Velus Jones Jr.

Got both feet in the back of the end zone — with some extra athleticism to pop back up pic.twitter.com/i4aUWrolpq
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) February 3, 2022

Size/Testing Numbers

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 204 pounds

Arm Length: 30 7/8 inches

Testing Numbers: 40 Time: 4.31 seconds / Vertical Jump: 33 inches / Broad Jump: 121 inches

Velus Jones Jr. with the 96-yard TD return. That’s pretty special, especially playing against his hometown team.

Very cool.
pic.twitter.com/RS7YyYXHJO
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) November 21, 2021

Ability on Film

Jones Jr is surprisingly raw on film for a player that will be 25 years old by week one of next season. His routes are a bit unrefined and his hands are far from consistent. Where he does shine, though, is in his pure athletic ability.

Jones Jr is a superb athlete that can create separation in an instant down the field. His 4.31 forty time was no fluke, and he shows it quite a bit on film. At worst, he could be an excellent deep threat receiver in the NFL with a little more development.

While his route running may not be at an NFL-ready level at the moment, he has shown the ability to improve in that area. He took major strides this past year with Tennessee, and he was creating separation with ease at the Senior Bowl.

He is a subtle and quick athlete that possesses the agility to get in and out of his cuts in a hurry. If he can add a little bit more nuance to this area of his game, he could be a solid slot receiver in the NFL.

On top of these two clips above, Jones Jr is at his best in the return game and with the ball in his hands. If the Colts do select him in this draft, it is easy to see him grabbing a Cordarrelle Patterson-like hybrid role in the NFL.

Fit with the Colts/Team Interest

Jones Jr embodies everything that the Colts' like to see out of their draft prospects, especially at the receiver position. He is a sturdy and explosive player that can instantly contribute on special teams from day one. He also excels after the catch, and he can be a real game-breaker for a good offensive mind.

As far as interest, I promised my source that I wouldn't say much in terms of how the Colts have worked with him this offseason. All I can say, at the moment, is that the Colts are very high on Jones Jr and it wouldn't shock me if he was taken fairly early on day three by the team.

Overall, Jones Jr is the perfect embodiment of a Chris Ballard player. He is an explosive athlete that contributes on special teams AND was also a Senior Bowl player. Throw in that he is best friends with a Colts' star player and Jones Jr makes a ton of sense for the team on day three.

Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.

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