The Chicago Bears were never going to get much buzz from the national media for their work in the draft. That is the price they paid for having no 1st round pick. Even so, Ryan Poles’ first year in the war room was met with mixed reactions. While many experts loved the two talents he got for his secondary in the 2nd round, there is a loud grumbling from others that he waited too long to get Justin Fields help on offense. That was made all the worse when his 3rd round pick turned out to be Velus Jones.
Though a wide receiver the team needed, arguments persisted that Chicago reached at this pick. Jones was projected by many to go somewhere on Day 3, so taking him at #71 overall felt rich. Never mind the fact he’s the oldest rookie in the draft, turning 25-years old this month. Not everybody hated it. Several people in NFL circles have applauded the pick. One of them is two-time general manager Randy Mueller. He appeared on Sports Talk Chicago with John Zaghloul, where he was asked about his impressions of the Bears’ draft class.
He immediately singled out Jones.
“I happen to really like the kid from Tennessee. I think he’s a really good player. He’s really fast and game-changing, impact speed is hard to find. I think the fact they found it in the 3rd round is great.”
Mueller wasn’t done either. Shortly later, he was asked if the class would be able to make any sort of impact in 2022. Again he went straight to Jones, believing he can do so many different things that the Bears offense hasn’t had in a long time. He has capabilities due to his explosiveness they can tall advantage of.
Mueller knows something about speedy receivers. He was the one who drafted Joey Galloway with the Seattle Seahawks in 1995. Galloway became famous for his versatility early in his career, collecting 3,075 receiving yards, 353 rushing yards, 769 punt return yards, and 31 total touchdowns in his first three seasons. No doubt he thinks that is what Velus Jones brings to the table for the Bears if the rookie can clean up his route running.
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Things like this are encouraging to hear, knowing how important this season will be for Fields’ ongoing development at quarterback.
