2020 NFL Draft: 5 offensive rookies to watch in second half of the season

Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears

Going in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Darnell Mooney has been a diamond in the rough for the Chicago Bears. He’s been overthrown countless times this season, but once that connection is made, he could bust out for a big game to propel him into the rest of the season.

Looking at the stat sheet, Mooney doesn’t seem like he should be on this list. He only has two touchdowns and his season-high for receiving yards is 69. However, he still has the potential to be one of the breakout rookies of the second half of the season.

While they haven’t turned into yards or touchdowns yet, Mooney is one of the most often targeted players on the Chicago Bears. With 56 targets, Mooney is just one behind both Anthony Miller and Jimmy Graham while Allen Robinson leads the way with 95 targets.

The catch for Mooney is that a large share of those targets came in week nine against Tennessee when he was targeted 11 times. The following week against Minnesota saw that number drop to two targets, but he secured both.

Of the players on this list, it would be fair to say that Mooney is the sleeper of the bunch. He has the most standing in the way of him having a breakout game, but his speed could make him an intriguing player to watch if the Bears can get some chemistry going between him and the quarterback.