As the Bears brought in a large group of draft picks and undrafted free agents for rookie minicamp, one question hovered above one of their rookies from last year: What will become of Velus Jones?
Jones was the shakiest of general manager Ryan Poles’ top three draft picks last year, and his path to finding a role at wide receiver is murkier than when they selected him. At the time, the No. 2 receiver spot behind Darnell Mooney was his for the taking. Since then, however, the Bears have traded for DJ Moore and Chase Claypool.
Additionally, veterans Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis have banked more credibility with the coaching staff and likely will be ahead of Jones when the Bears open organized team activities May 22. The Bears also drafted Tyler Scott out of Cincinnati in the fourth round.
Jones still could be an asset as a punt and kick returner, but he struggled with ball security last season and faces increased competition from Scott and others.
“His fire’s always been lit,” special-teams coordinator Richard Hightower said Saturday. ‘‘I don’t think it will change the man. Competition brings the best out of all of us, so it’ll be a good thing for him.”
Hamstring injuries slowed Jones last year, keeping him out of the first three games. He also was a healthy scratch twice. He finished with seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown and nine rushes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Jones also turns 26 on Thursday, making him one of the Bears’ older wide receivers.
Mooney moving
Coming off a breakthrough 1,000-yard season in 2021, Mooney aimed to prove himself as one of the NFL’s best receivers last season. He struggled, though, and had only 40 catches for 493 yards and two touchdowns before a season-ending ankle injury in November.
He appears to be back on track after surgery, and wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said the team is optimistic he’ll be back by camp.
“He’s great with his rehab . . . he’s running right now,” Tolbert said. “His attitude has been great. He’s out here every single day.”
Johnson stands out
The Bears are happy with all their rookies at the moment, of course, but fourth-round running back Roschon Johnson impressed more than most. Not only is the team hoping he’ll step into a key role in the offense, but he caught Hightower’s attention on kickoff returns and coverage, too.
“He’s naturally talented, big, strong, physical, [and] he caught the ball well,” Hightower said. “That’s why we like him a lot. He can play kickoff return, he can play upback back there and block for a guy like Velus or [Trestan] Ebner or Khalil [Herbert].”
Playing behind All-American Bijan Robinson at Texas, Johnson rushed for 554 yards and five touchdowns on 93 carries as a senior last season. He also returned eight kickoffs in his college career and got experience in every phase of special teams.
