Bengals add wide receiver Charlie Jones in fourth round of NFL Draft
Finally, someone on offense was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. With the 131st pick in the NFL Draft, the Bengals selected Purdue wide receiver Charlie Jones. Jones' path to the NFL has been anything but ordinary. He started his collegiate career at Buffalo all the way back in 2017 and caught 18 passes in two […]
Finally, someone on offense was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. With the 131st pick in the NFL Draft, the Bengals selected Purdue wide receiver Charlie Jones.
Jones' path to the NFL has been anything but ordinary. He started his collegiate career at Buffalo all the way back in 2017 and caught 18 passes in two seasons. He then transferred to Iowa in 2019 and had to sit for a year. He only played four games for the Hawkeyes in the shortened 2020 Covid season, and finally got some playing time in 2021
For his final year of eligibility, Jones transferred to Purdue to play with Aidan O'Connell, who was a teammate of his for multiple youth sports teams in rural Illinois, and had the season of his life. He became O'Connell's leading receiver in 2022, hauling in 1,361 receiving yards and touchdowns on 12 touchdowns on 110 receptions.
Jones, otherwise known as "Chuck Sizzle," is an ideal slot receiver in the NFL. The 24-year old stands at 5' 11" and 175 pounds, but has ideal speed and agility. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and 6.84 3-cone during the pre-draft process. And after playing over 1,600 snaps at receiver in the college level, Jones enters Cincinnati with advanced knowledge at the position.
"His mental makeup, he's a pro," Bengals receivers coach Troy Walters said of Jones after the pick. "He approaches the game like an NFL football player. He'll compete. He understands football. I had an hour zoom with him and we went over coverages and talked football and he was an A."
While he has just one year of legitimate production after six seasons in college, Jones is a very experienced returner. Jones had 121 combined kickoff and punt returns from his time at Iowa and Purdue. He was named the 2021 Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year after averaging 26.1 yards per kickoff return for the Hawkeyes.
Here's a few highlights from The Athletic's Dane Brugler's scouting report on Jones:
Explosive driving off the line with see-ya speed to stretch the field vertically. … Sharp route runner and stems defensive backs with one-step quickness. … Shows a second gear to climb over coverage when tracking down field.
Jones' immediate value could be in that exact role. The Bengals re-signed Trent Taylor and still have Chris Evans to handle punt and kickoff return duties, respectively, but Jones has the ability to handle both roles at a higher level. The Bengals will carry him on the roster considering when they drafted him, which puts Taylor specifically on the hot seat.
Beyond 2023, Jones could end up replacing Tyler Boyd as the starting slot receiver. He'll likely back Boyd up and provide emergency receiver depth as the Bengals' offense looks to grow with a better offensive line.
