NFL Draft stock is rising for former Tennessee Vols WR
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about NFL draft analyst John Ledyard's opinion of Tennessee Vols wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. Ledyard described Jones as a player who is "hard to figure out" because of his sudden emergence in 2021 at 24 years old as a sixth-year senior. Jones was viewed by Ledyard as […]
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about NFL draft analyst John Ledyard's opinion of Tennessee Vols wide receiver Velus Jones Jr.
Ledyard described Jones as a player who is "hard to figure out" because of his sudden emergence in 2021 at 24 years old as a sixth-year senior.
Jones was viewed by Ledyard as a talented player who might have a ceiling in the NFL as a special teams player or reserve wide receiver.
Since writing that article, it appears that the opinion of Jones among draft analysts/NFL teams has shifted a bit.
Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy tweeted on Sunday morning that NFL draft scouts have been pushing Jones up their draft boards thanks to his speed and red-zone routes.
Jones received an invitation to the 2022 NFL Draft combine, so he'll have more chances in the coming weeks to climb draft boards.
You can't teach speed. And that alone could lead to Jones being drafted higher than expected.
I'm sure there are plenty of offensive coordinators in the NFL who are salivating at the thought of using Jones' speed in a creative way. His route-running ability in the red zone is an added bonus.
As for the draft projection for Jones?
A recent mock draft from Pro Football Network has Jones being selected in the seventh round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It's certainly possible that Jones could improve his draft stock enough to be selected somewhere in third-round to the fifth-round range.
Featured image via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports/Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
