After the Pittsburgh Steelers had dinner with N.C. State wide receiver Thayer Thomas a few nights ago, the team is meeting with another receiver in Purdue’s Charlie Jones, according to Tom Dienhart of On3.
Jones had a breakout 2022 campaign, his first and only season at Purdue. He had 110 receptions for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns while helping the Boilermakers make the Big Ten Championship game. Jones is also a skilled returner, as he had 77 career punt returns for 622 yards and a touchdown while also adding 45 career kick returns for 1,002 yards and a touchdown. He was the Big Ten Returner of the Year in 2021.
“I feel like that gives me a little bit of an edge, being able to be a receiver and a returner,” he said at the NFL Combine. “Not everything starts off the way you want, so at the next level there may not be something right away and the way to get my foot in the door is special teams.”
Before Purdue, Jones spent time at Buffalo and Iowa. He never really had a chance as a receiver until he arrived at Purdue, and in 2022 his 110 receptions led the FBS. He was a two-star prospect coming out of high school. After his second season at Buffalo, he transferred to Iowa and walked on to the football team.
“I believe I can play against the best of the best every week. That’s why I went from Buffalo to Iowa, and after that I wanted to prove that I was one of the best receivers, and that’s why I made that move from Iowa to Purdue,” Jones said at the Combine.
Jones declined to talk about teams he met with at the Combine. In addition to the Steelers, he’s had a visit with the Texans and will also reportedly meet with the Cardinals and the Panthers.
With Steven Sims signing a one-year contract with the Texans, Jones could add valuable depth at receiver while also functioning as the team’s return man. It’s clear that finding a guy who can do that has been a focus for the team lately, and Jones would certainly be a good option if he ended up in Pittsburgh.
For more on Jones, check out Jonathan Heitritter’s draft profile on him below.
