Velus Jones Jr. took a handoff sweeping left, with blockers pulling out to guide him. The Bears’ do-it-all offensive weapon found a rushing lane and shot into the second level untouched. Then he cut diagonally to his right and then turned on the afterburners.

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When that happens, Jones isn’t getting caught. He cruised into the end zone without incident, securing a 39-yard touchdown run in Thursday’s exhibition against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bears’ third-round pick in 2022 had a banner night at Arrowhead Stadium, with 111 rushing yards and a score on just 13 carries.

Not bad for a career wide receiver.

“When you have your roster set up the way we have, moving him to that new position, we wanted to see all the reps we can at that position – protecting, going out on routes, running the ball the way he did,” head coach Matt Eberflus said after Thursday’s 34-21 preseason win. “We wanted to get a good look at him. He put a really good foot forward today.”

The Bears are experimenting with Jones’ versatility, trying to find ways to get the ball in his hands. Sometimes, just handing it to him is the easiest path to production. He finished with 158 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries this preseason, proof that this open-minded initiative is working. Jones can also return kicks, adding to his value and his attempt to make the 53-man roster.

His spot is no lock, especially with a talented, deep collection of players and heavy competition at the skill positions.

“He’s explosive, he has good lean mass, he can knock it forward,” Eberflus said. “He’s done some nice things.”

He can do some nice things for the 2024 Chicago Bears if given the opportunity. We’ll know if he gets his chance by Tuesday afternoon, when NFL teams must trim their 90-man rosters way, way down.

The Bears must do some roster math and prioritize unique skill sets. While this article is an argument for why Jones belongs, roster math might be working against him. D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson are locks. Travis Homer is a core special teams player and has experience working with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron in Seattle. Fullback Khari Blasingame is also in the mix.

Keeping six running backs seems highly unlikely, unless the Bears go light at another position. Receiver is an obvious spot to skimp, considering Jones can run routes and has experience out wide and in the slot. If Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore and (IMHO) Tyler Scott are all set for the season, the Jones can be the fifth guy to help that group. If DeAndre Carter remains to help in the return game, then it gets harder to find a spot for Jones.

They could stick with three tight ends to make up for an extra skill player elsewhere, because going light on the lines and in the secondary should be a no-go.

It’s still worth the risk, considering Jones can do so much. A previous Bears regime cross-trained Cordarrelle Patterson hoping for a similar effect, and the results were so-so. Patterson thrived in that role with the Falcons, turning in 1,166 offensive yards and 11 touchdowns while providing hall-of-fame kickoff return skills in 2022.

We’re not suggesting Jones is Patterson. Few, if any, are. The link was made to show that it’s possible to get gains from a hybrid player with speed and elusiveness.

Jones said on Aug. 14 that the transition to running back work – he played the position at the youth and high-school levels – has been smooth. That’s important as well, because running backs to far more than carry the ball. They have to identify blitzes and pass protect, find rushing lanes and make the right choices to use protection well.

“I’ve been working on my vision, seeing the gaps and the guards pulling,” Jones said. “After that, my natural ability takes over, honestly. I don’t think it’s that difficult. I’m not trying to say that running back is not a difficult thing, but our offensive linemen and receivers are so good at blocking, mixed with my God-give strength, speed and talent, it’s pretty hard for something positive to not come out of it.”

On a team searching for positive offensive production and reliable weapons for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, it’s worth taking a shot to see if Jones can bring explosiveness to the Bears attack.

Follow Bears Insider Scott Bair at @ScottBairNFL.