Velus Jones Jr. named Bears’ surprise standout player at minicamp

A critical now-or-never offseason has arrived for former Chicago Bears third-round pick Velus Jones Jr. It’s safe to say Jones Jr. hasn’t come close to meeting expectations as a wide receiver. He’s recorded just 11 receptions across two professional seasons.

The Bears are no longer counting on Jones Jr. to be a contributor on offense. General manager Ryan Poles made significant upgrades to the position this offseason by acquiring Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze to join D.J. Moore. That means Jones Jr. is entering training camp on the roster bubble. Even his place on special teams is no longer secure after Poles signed DeAndre Carter.

ESPN recently polled all of their NFL Nation reporters on which underrated players qualified as surprising standout performers at organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp. The always excellent Courtney Cronin picked Jones Jr. after he strung together some impressive practices.

“No one benefits from the changes to the kickoff more than the Bears” 2022 third-round pick,” Cronin