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Shaw Local is counting down the top 25 most important Bears for the 2023 season.
What makes one player more important than another? That’s subjective, of course. But for our purposes it comes down to this: Are the Bears worse off if this player can’t play? Does this player have untapped potential or past greatness to live up to? Is his story going to be one fans follow closely this season?
The best player on the team isn’t always the most important, but he certainly can be. We will release one player every day between now and the start of training camp.
No. 22 Velus Jones Jr.
Position: Wide receiver/kick return
NFL experience: Second season
Last year’s ranking: No. 14
Looking back: General manager Ryan Poles selected Velus Jones Jr. with a third-round pick (71st overall) in 2022. The Bears didn’t have a first-round pick last year, but they had three picks on day two. Of those three premium picks, Jones was the only offensive player the Bears took that night. He came to Chicago after totaling more than 800 receiving yards and seven touchdowns during his final year at Tennessee. He was also a co-SEC Special Teams Player of the Year after averaging more than 27 yards per kick return.
As a rookie last season, the Bears had a hard time getting Jones involved in the offense. Jones finished the season with only seven receptions. He also carried the ball nine times out of the backfield. The Bears tried to use him as both a kick and punt returner, but he quickly lost the punt return job after fumbling twice on key fourth-quarter punt returns.
The bright side was that he emerged late in the season as a truly dangerous kick returner. He finished fourth in the entire NFL with 27.6 yards per return on 22 total returns. His long went for 63 yards.
Looking forward: The Bears have brought in some significant competition for Jones at the receiver position. DJ Moore is expected to be the team’s top receiver. They also drafted Cincinnati receiver Tyler Scott with a fourth-round pick. With Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis all returning, it’s no sure thing that Jones makes the roster.
Right now, Jones’ kick return abilities are the No. 1 thing working in his favor. He has a legitimate chance to be elite in that role. Teams will find a place on the roster for an elite kick returner. In a perfect world, though, the Bears want to keep Jones involved on offense. Nobody is doubting that Jones has speed, but he has to harness that speed in his route running and he has to catch the football. It won’t be easy with Moore, Mooney and Claypool all vying for touches.
This year is crucial for the Bears to figure out what they’re doing with Jones. Is he a part of the offense or not? If he’s only a return specialist, that’s OK. There’s a place for that. But they need to know what their goal is with Jones.
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