Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney has become an afterthought whenever the Bears' pass-catchers are discussed. Instead, the focus is on the other guys -- Byron Pringle, Velus Jones Jr., and Equanimeous St. Brown. And while it's true this group offers an unclear upside, Mooney's talent is well-established, and his status as one of the NFL's top young wideouts is on the rise.
The Bears haven't been given much of a chance to compete in the NFC North this season. The sportsbooks and football media are in lockstep about Chicago finishing with double-digit losses. One of the main reasons for such pessimism is -- you guessed it -- the Bears' apparent failure to level up the wide receivers and help quarterback Justin Fields this offseason.
Fields' second season will be monitored closely by analysts who think his ceiling is lower because of general manager Ryan Poles' decision to avoid big-name wide receivers in free agency and the 2022 NFL draft. There will be some confirmation bias at play, too. With so many pundits predicting doom for Fields and the Bears, they'll claim victory at the first sign of struggle.
But there's something odd about Mooney being overlooked as a viable weapon for the Bears offense this season. He finished 2021 with more than 1,000 receiving yards despite playing in a clueless offense. He was forced to catch passes from Andy Dalton in six games and Nick Foles in another. That, alone, makes his season stat line more impressive.
Darnell Mooney deserves more respect in Bears' WR discussion
Mooney has already established himself as one of the core players on the Bears' offense. He finished last season with the second-highest grade from Pro Football Focus for starters on offense and returns as Chicago's highest-graded player in the passing game.
In fact, an argument can be made that Mooney is the second-most talented wide receiver in the NFC North entering the 2022 season. The trade of Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders opened the door for Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson to move into the top spot, but there's a vacancy behind him.
The Detroit Lions hit paydirt in the 2021 NFL Draft with Amon-Ra St. Brown, and this year's first-round pick, Jameson Williams, has a chance to be a star. But neither player is as established as Mooney and because of that, neither can be ranked ahead of him.
The Green Bay Packers will soon learn that life after Adams isn't fun. They boast a wide receiver corps led by Allen Lazard and an aging Randall Cobb. Rookie second-round pick Christian Watson has a chance, and last year's draft investment, Amari Rodgers, could surprise. But none of those guys come close to Mooney's recent production and ceiling. Mooney would be the Packers' WR1.
Darnell Mooney is among NFC North's best WRs
This brings us back to the Vikings, who we've already established, field the NFC North's top dog in Jefferson. But they also post the biggest challenge to Mooney for the division's WR2. Veteran Adam Thielen, at one time, was a stud. But he's coming off three-straight seasons of less than 1,000 yards, he'll turn 32 years old before the start of the season, and his body has been failing him. For as great as he's been, he's no longer an elite wide receiver. And his prospects aren't better than Mooney's in 2022.
After scanning the NFC North depth charts, the Bears not only have a legitimate talent in Mooney, but they also have the division's second-best wide receiver. That may be surprising considering how hostile the narrative about Chicago's wide receivers has been. But that will change once the pads go on in training camp.