The top receiver at Purdue last season, Jones will battle for playing time in the Bengals offense this summer. He's unlikely to see the field much in 2023 since he played mostly as an outside receiver at Purdue, but perhaps there's a pathway to him contributing in a year or two. He's a crafty receiver with explosive speed and very good route running traits. He's just a little lean and has battled injuries in the past. Unlikely to get a sniff in seasonal leagues, Jones is at best a third-round choice in rookie-only drafts.
Bengals' Charlie Jones: Ends team return TD drought
Rotowire
Jones returned a punt for an 81-yard touchdown in the Bengals' 27-24 loss to the Ravens on Sunday.
The rookie fourth-round pick out of Purdue has yet to line up at receiver through his first two NFL games, but he became the first Bengals player to score a touchdown in 2023 when he went untouched on a punt return to tie the game early in the second quarter. Jones' 81-yard score represented the first punt returned for a touchdown by a Bengals player since the 2012 season. Jones should continue to maintain a key role as a return man throughout his rookie season, but his opportunities on offense will likely be few and far between while all of Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are healthy.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Exits Thursday's practice
Rotowire
Jones left Thursday's practice on a cart after trainers checked out his left arm, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Conway notes that prior to suffering his injury, Jones hauled in an impressive TD catch during the session. The 2023 fourth-rounder currently slots in behind the Bengals' top WR trio of Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, which caps his short-term fantasy value, but assuming his arm issue isn't serious, Jones is in line to work in a complementary pass-catching role for the team as a rookie.
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Bengals' Charlie Jones: Added by Cincinnati in fourth round
Rotowire
The Bengals selected Jones in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 131st overall.
Jones (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) was very productive for Purdue in 2022, but he did very little in the five prior years while transferring from Buffalo, to Iowa, to Purdue. It's great that Jones caught 110 passes for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, but it pointedly still is not impressive for a 24-year-old player, especially one who produced just 718 yards in the prior five seasons. At least Jones tested well at the combine, logging a 4.43-second 40 and 124-inch broad jump. In any case, Jones will begin his pro career behind Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd on the Bengals' wide receiver depth chart.
