Velus Jones Jr. has a chance to break this Bears’ rookie record in 2022

Chicago Bears third-round pick, Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr., has his detractors. His age — he turned 25 this month — is one of the go-to jokes made about general manager Ryan Poles’ decision to draft the former Volunteer, and the fact he didn’t break out as a productive receiver until his sixth season in college doesn’t help.

But does any of that matter now? Jones is part of a Bears roster that lacks much opposition for him to make an early impact in Chicago. He’s one of the most naturally gifted athletes on the roster already — he ran a 4.31 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine — and offers Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy the kind of inside-outside weapon that should lead to a lot of reps early in his career.

And with that high volume of reps comes targets from quarterback Justin Fields. Jones won’t be the first read in Fields’ progression, that distinction will belong to receiver Darnell Mooney. But he won’t be far behind. He’ll get peppered with short and intermediate passes that give him a chance to flip the field, and with every reception, he’ll move one step closer to setting a Bears rookie record.

Bears’ rookie receiving record has stood for 13 years

Matt Forte set the current high watermark for receptions by a rookie in 2008. He caught 63 passes that year. Mooney came close to breaking it in 2020 but finished two shy with 61. With 17 games on the schedule, Jones has to average just four catches (3.7 to be exact) per game to reach 64 on the season. Six rookies had 64 or more catches in 2021, including tight end Kyle Pitts, who, like Jones, was among few worthy targets in the Atlanta Falcons’ passing game.

Of those six rookies who topped 64 catches last year, only three surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris is a bit of an outlier, though. Running backs rarely top 1,000 receiving yards, even with a high volume of catches.

But what about Detroit Lions’ 2021 third-round pick, Amon-Ra St. Brown? The younger brother of Bears receiver Equanimeous St. Brown caught 90 passes for 912 yards and five touchdowns. He was drafted in the fourth round last year and emerged as the Lions’ most valuable pass-catcher around the midseason mark.

Velus Jones Jr. has the talent and opportunity to make his mark in 2022

Is it unreasonable to predict Jones could have a 75-80 catches this season? His expected usage should put him in that range, even if he ends 2022 with fewer than 1,000 yards. Aside from Mooney, Jones will compete with free-agent signing Byron Pringle for Fields’ attention. And while Pringle has a chance to emerge in his own right, once Jones starts wowing with his after-the-catch ability, he’ll become a favorite target, much like St. Brown did for Lions quarterback Jared Goff last year.

It’s too early to predict that a third-round rookie will re-write a charter franchise’s record books. But there’s a clear path for Jones to raise the bar for Bears rookies in 2022.