Darnell Mooney is a starting wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. He played high school football in the state of Alabama and committed to Tulane University. He was a steady contributor his junior and senior years, catching 48 passes for over 700 yards in each of those seasons. He then declared for the 2020 NFL Draft. Mooney showed off his speed at the NFL Combine where he ran a 4.38 (95th-percentile) 40 time to go along with a 124.9 (72nd-percentile) Burst Score on PlayerProfiler. His hand size measured in at 9 5/8-inches.
Mooney was the 24th receiver taken in the NFL draft, falling to pick 173 (round five) where he was selected by the Chicago Bears. He was viewed as a raw prospect, but found success in a paltry Bears offense. He the Bears record for receptions by a rookie with his 61. He then topped off a solid rookie year with an even more productive sophomore season, finishing with 81 receptions for 1,055 yards.
Mooney was targeted with 23 Deep Balls in his first two seasons and totaled just six drops across both seasons, commanding starting snaps both years. He was No. 11 in the NFL in targets, and No. 13 in Air Yards in 2021. Mooney played in only 12 games in 2022, sidelined with an ankle injury in 12 games. He played 15 games in 2023, but his production continued to wane. He totaled just 31 receptions for 414 yards in 2023 while the Bears offense centered around the run game and their new WR1 D.J. Moore.
