Velus Jones Jr. almost missed the call from Bears on draft night

The Chicago Bears added speedy wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, giving quarterback Justin Fields another playmaker in an otherwise underwhelming receiving corps.

It was an exciting time for Jones, who had an inkling that Chicago was among the top teams interested in him during the pre-draft process.

But Jones almost didn’t answer the call from Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus because he was in shock seeing the Chicago number on his phone. But Jones quickly recovered and answered the call that changed his life forever and brought us a special moment from the draft.

“I almost didn’t answer the call because I was stunned just looking at the phone,” Jones said on the Podsters of the Midway podcast. “I got on and it was just like, man. It felt like a dream.”

Jones was the lone wide receiver selected by the Bears in the draft, and he has an opportunity to make an immediate impact as a rookie. Outside of Darnell Mooney, Chicago’s receivers are unproven and starting jobs up for grabs.

So it’s a good thing that Jones has already been impressing this offseason with his 4.31 speed and run-after-the-catch ability, which gives offensive coordinator Luke Getsy a fun weapon to play with.

Most importantly, Jones has an opportunity to establish a good rapport with Fields. So far, Jones has made a good impression on Fields, who sees his potential as a playmaker on offense.

“He’s a great run-after-the-catch guy,” Fields told Bleacher Report this offseason. “He’s going to pick up a lot of yards and is physical. He’s almost like a running back at receiver. Having him on the outside and putting the ball in his hands and letting him work will be great.”

So far, so good for the rookie wideout.

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