Charlie Jones has clearly become O'Connell's favorite WR target, and he is putting up big numbers through the first 2 games of the year. Besides the possibility of getting injured, I don't see Jones's production being slowed down much. This is the best transfer portal pickup that Brohm has ever done.
Jones reminds me a lot of Welker, Edelman, Amendola type of WR, plus he can also be a PR and KO specialist too. He runs crisp routes, great hands and just seems to always get open.
Do you feel he can be a Welker type of WR in the NFL? What round does everyone think he will go in the NFL draft?
Who cares about "big numbers" when Purdue is a pass happy offense, one which is currently top 20 in pass attempts in FBS, even with some teams already played 3 games?
Tom D has really been hyping Jones up, he likes to create "storylines" rather than just report. Charlie Jones is good, hard worker high effort kind of guy but
"the best transfer portal pickup that Brohm has ever done" in a pass happy offense with a potential 2nd All-BIG10 QB, with a heck of a lot of WR targets and playing ISU for a game? I would consider that a pretty hot take so early in the season.
Does he have a role in the NFL? Maybe, my guess he might be a late 3rd day pick depending on how he finishes out the year. I don't think NFL teams are going to look at him as a game changer, physically imposing or with significant developmental upside potential.
Per NFLdraftbuzz, they are saying he doesn't have blazing speed (4.6 40 yard dash), great hands on contested catches or twitch to create consistent separation. Let's see what they say come April.
The speed is probably wrong, but I doubt it's an elite speed.
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I'm going to pivot to ask more broad questions, such as:
1) why is it that even though Purdue has finished #22, #6, #3, #2, #6, and currently #2 in passing play percentage over the past 6 years, there's not been a flood of highly rated top 10 receivers in recruiting? Recruiting rankings are not everything since you are projecting 17-18 year olds, but generally speaking, they get more right than they get wrong.
Rondale was 41st, Bell 19th, Wright 30th, ARY 54th, Burks #121, Deville currently #62.
2) Why is it that Purdue took so many WR transfers such as Broc Thompson, Tyrone Tracy, Elijah Canion, Charlie Jones? Injuries can be part of the story, but where's the recruiting depth? Rondale and Bell proved WR's can play game 1 freshman years.
If we really are a wide receivers dream, where's Jordan Addison? Mario Williams? or the top 20+ rated WR's in the portal every year coming here?