In his transition from wide receiver to running back, former Saraland High School standout Velus Jones Jr. is so far down the New Orleans Saints depth chart that his line doesn’t even have a heading. It would be fifth team, though, if it did.
Even though he only had one rushing attempt for a 1-yard loss in New Orleans’ preseason opener, a 27-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on August 10, he has outperformed the players ahead of him in the hierarchy after running for 29 yards on four carries as the Saints tied the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-17 on Sunday in their second preseason game.
Alvin Kamara, the Saints’ top running back, hasn’t participated in the preseason.
On the depth chart, the only running backs ahead of Jones are Clyde Edwards-Helaire with 18 yards on eight runs, Cam Akers with 11 yards on six efforts, and Kendre Miller with 36 yards on 12 carries.
The Chicago Bears selected Jones in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. His 20 rushing attempts for 165 yards and one touchdown and 12 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown in 29 NFL games led to Jones switching to running back.
Throughout his NFL career, Jones has also returned 40 kickoffs for an average of 26.5 yards. He returned two kickoffs for 40 yards on Sunday.
With 21 seconds remaining, quarterback Spencer Rattler led the Saints to a two-point conversion run and a 20-yard touchdown throw, capping a nine-play, 82-yard drive that matched the Jaguars.
With nine seconds remaining, Jacksonville was within striking distance of Jaguars kicker Cam Little, who nailed a 70-yard field goal last week, after Seth Henigan completed a 23-yard throw to put Jacksonville on the New Orleans 42-yard line. However, safety Jonas Sanker intercepted Henigan on the subsequent snap.
The Chicago Bears defeated the Buffalo Bills 38-0 in Sunday’s other preseason game. In the game, which saw three Chicago quarterbacks gain 369 passing yards and Bears running back Ian Wheeler score two touchdowns, Buffalo kept 34 of its players out.
During the preseason games on Sunday, twelve athletes from Alabama’s high schools and colleges took the field:
New Orleans Saints 17, Jacksonville Jaguars 17.
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Tank Bigsby (Auburn
) started at running back for the Jaguars. Bigsby gained 6 yards on two rushing attempts and had a 19-yard reception while playing the first offensive series for Jacksonville. He also returned the opening kickoff 35 yards.
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Saints punter James Burnip (Alabama
) averaged 43.5 yards on two punts. Burnip had a 49-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Jacksonville 19-yard line and a 38-yard punt that was downed at the Jacksonville 26.
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Josh Hines-Allen (Abbeville) started at defensive end for the Jaguars. Hines-Allen did not record any stats.
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Saints running back Velus Jones Jr. (Saraland) ran for 29 yards on four carries, caught a pass that netted a 2-yard loss and ran back two kickoffs for 40 yards.
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Saints cornerback Ga Quincy Kool-Aid McKinstry (Pinson Valley, Alabama) did not play.
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Jaguars linebacker Jalen McLeod (Auburn) did not play.
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Jaguars quarterback Nick Mullens (Spain Park) completed 14-of-17 passes for 112 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Jacksonville scored 10 points on Mullens four possessions at the helm of the Jaguars offense.
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Jaguars defensive back Caleb Ransaw (Sparkman,Troy
) did not play.
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Jaguars defensive back Cam Ron Silmon-Craig (Fultondale) made one tackle on special teams.
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Jaguars safety Daniel Thomas (Lee-Montgomery, Auburn) made five tackles.
Buffalo Bills 0, Chicago Bears 38
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Bills offensive tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State
) did not play.
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Bills defensive tackle Marcus Harris (Park Crossing, Auburn) did not record any stats.
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Tyrell Shavers (Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Bills. Shavers had two receptions for 29 yards.
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Bills defensive end Javon Solomon (Troy) made three tackles and registered two quarterback hits.
More stories on the NFL
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Former Auburn defensive tackle loses roster spot with Tennessee Titans
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Alabama first-rounder on his preseason debut with the Dallas Cowboys: Today was big for me
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Former Alabama, NFL running back facing domestic-violence charges
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Mark Inabinett works for Alabama Media Group as a sports writer. You may follow him at @AMarkG1 on X.
