It’s become abundantly clear that the Chicago Bears got a steal in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft with the selection of Tulane wide receiver, Darnell Mooney.
Mooney’s already surpassed Anthony Miller on the depth chart and is building more trust with quarterback Nick Foles on a weekly basis. He was lauded by Bears coaches for his level of maturity and professionalism during training camp, and it’s showed up on the field early in the season. His attention to detail in his routes is fun to watch; he already plays like a savvy veteran.
And that’s what makes him such an exciting young player. He isn’t a veteran; he’s only six games into his pro career. Mooney’s skill set is so exciting that it has respected NFL analyst Louis Riddick offering a lofty player comparison for him.
“Mooney looks like a current-day version of a young DeSean Jackson,” Riddick told reporters ahead of Week 7’s Monday Night Football game between the Bears and Rams. “He has that kind of stride and that kind of explosive playmaking ability. As we get deeper into this season, he’s going to become a bigger and bigger factor in that offense. They’re going to push the ball to him more and more and more. And they should. He may be the biggest weapon they have.”
While some may scoff at the suggestion that Mooney is a better playmaker than Allen Robinson, it isn’t necessarily untrue.
Robinson is the better all-around wide receiver and it isn’t particularly close. But Mooney possesses field-flipping 4.38 speed and creates an incredible amount of separation from defensive backs on plays downfield. As Riddick points out, the Bears are likely to take advantage of the edge Mooney brings to the field as the season march on.
Through six games this year, Mooney’s totaled 18 catches for 196 yards and one touchdown. His production is a bit misleading, however, as he didn’t begin playing the majority of passing snaps until Week 3.
