Velus Jones Jr. dubbed Bears player to watch in preseason opener vs. Titans

The NFL preseason is all about opportunity for players who might otherwise not get a chance to play much during the regular season. Critical backups and special-teamers will dominate the reps in the Chicago Bears’ Week 1 preseason tilt against the Tennessee Titans, and one wide receiver, according to NFL.com, is worth watching closely.

The Bears selected Velus Jones Jr. in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft with the hope the advance-aged prospect would bring a field-flipping ability to an offense devoid of talent last year. General manager Ryan Poles took some lumps for drafting the 25-year-old Jones, but his logic behind the pick was sound at the time.

“I think for where we are as a team, it actually probably benefits us to have mature, game-ready, pro-ready players that are a little bit more experienced and mature,” Poles said last May when addressing the age issue. “They’re a little bit more dependable, reliable, both on and off the field. So, I think that will benefit us for where we are.”

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for the Bears and Jones. He became one of the least reliable receivers and return men on the roster, putting his chances to make the final 53-man squad this year on shaky ground.

Hence, the preseason, and why NFL.com’s Eric Edholm mentioned Jones as a player to watch against the Titans.

“DJ Moore, Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney are making the team,” Edholm wrote. ‘Their snaps Saturday against the Titans could be fun … but also might not amount to much. The rest of the WR room needs sorting out, however, and this game will be another step in that process.

2022 third-rounder Velus Jones Jr. could stand to open some eyes in this game, either as a pass catcher or returner. That special teams value (assuming Jones has improved at fielding punts) gives him an edge toward securing a role on this team, and he has gained receiving ground on Dante Pettis, who hasn’t practiced while remaining on the NFI list.”

Jones has had a relatively strong training camp, and the odds he will make the team have recently improved. But coach Matt Eberflus and the rest of his staff must trust him between the white lines and when the games begin to count. After an abysmal rookie season, it’ll take a strong three-game stack this preseason to earn that trust.

It all gets started Saturday against the Titans.

Kickoff between the Bears and Titans is scheduled for 12:00 pm CST at Soldier Field. Make sure you subscribe to Bears Talk on YouTube for all of our preseason post-game analysis.