We are about two weeks away from the NFL Draft, and casual fans know the names of the top NFL Draft prospects. But some lack the knowledge of the players projected to go in days two and three of the draft. And those players go on to become key pieces of successful teams.
In the past five NFL drafts, you have names such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Terry McLaurin, Tony Pollard, Dawson Knox, and Maxx Crosby. All those players have participated in the Pro Bowl, and four it of five helped their team get to the playoffs in their career.
2023 NFL Draft Prospect No. 3: Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue
Jones is listed as 5’11 and 175 pounds; yes, that’s small, but don’t let his size fool you. Jones is a tough and competitive receiver who works hard. Jones transferred twice in college, going from Buffalo to Iowa. Then, after Iowa’s offense struggled, he transferred to Purdue, where he found the right offense to play in. In Jones’s lone year at Purdue, he caught 110 passes for 1,312 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Jones was still unknown after the 2022-23 college football season ended. It wasn’t until the 2023 NFL Draft Combine that his name started ringing out. Jones ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and a 1.51 10-yard split in the combine.
Thanks to his NFL Draft combine performance, he opened many eyes and made some people go back to watch his film. You can see that Jones possesses good route running and reliable hands when watching. He tracked the ball well and made some excellent catches against tight coverage. However, Jones does lack Jones lacks the ability to beat a defense deep and lacks the ability to beat press coverage.
Jones is projected to be a slot receiver in the NFL, But teams shouldn’t shy away from him because he lacks versatility and size. Any team looking for a third option at wide receiver in the NFL Draft should consider Jones.