Chicago Bears WR Darnell Mooney is poised for breakout in 2021

After turning heads during his rookie season, Darnell Mooney could be primed to make a second-year jump for the Chicago Bears. The fifth-round pick recorded 61 receptions for 631 yards and four touchdowns in his first year in the league.

Mooney started the season coming off the bench and climbed up the depth chart as the season went on. By the end of the year, he was second on the team in receptions and receiving yards, behind only Allen Robinson.

Mooney put together a productive rookie season by most accounts, but it fell far short of what it could’ve been. He was plagued by two quarterbacks who were among the league’s worst in deep accuracy. This led to many missed opportunities for the Chicago Bears offense and forced Mooney to make most of his plays in the short pass game.

The addition of quarterback Justin Fields should give a boost to the offense, especially the wide receivers. Mooney will go from having two of the least accurate quarterbacks in the NFL to having one of the most accurate quarterback prospects in recent memory.

Chicago Bears QB situation can help Darnell Mooney

Having a quarterback that can throw accurately to all levels of the field would expand Mooney’s route tree and allow him to be the elite deep threat he was in college. Mooney averaged 20 yards per reception during his junior year at Tulane, but that number dropped to 10.1 in his first year with the Chicago Bears.

Mooney was still able to produce being used as a possession receiver, but he could be a lot more than that in the right offense. Even if Fields doesn’t start right away, the Bears have had the offseason to develop a more defined role for Mooney. Chicago’s offense has been one of the least explosive in the league since Matt Nagy took over as coach, and Mooney is the key to changing that.

There was always a clear distrust between Matt Nagy and Mitchell Trubisky that led to very predictable playcalling. In 2021, we should see an expanded playbook that could allow Mooney to have a more dynamic role in the offense.

The additions of Marquise Goodwin, Dameire Byrd, and Dazz Newsome all help the Bears with depth and athleticism at wide receiver, but there doesn’t appear to be anyone who could seriously challenge Mooney for the second receiver spot.

In 2020, Mooney showed what he could do in a bad situation. He had limited camp and no preseason games due to COVID-19 and had to deal with subpar quarterback play while trying to adjust to the NFL as a rookie. Still, he managed to exceed expectations and make an impact.

2021 is a chance for Mooney to show what he can do in a more favorable situation. At only 23 years old, he has shown enough to get Chicago Bears fans excited about his potential. The 4.3 speed to go with his route running and elusiveness gives Darnell Mooney a high ceiling and makes him a strong candidate for a second-year breakout.