The Chicago Bears 2020 draft class delivered a pleasant surprise on opening day in Detroit. Jaylon Johnson was the biggest standout, allowing just two catches on six targets and coming up with two huge deflections. One that led to a game-changing interception and the other that ended the game in a Bears win. He wasn’t alone though. Another rookie caught the attention of the wider NFL media. That being Darnell Mooney.
Most casual fans had no idea who he was when the Bears picked him in the 5th round of the draft. All they found out were two things. He’s a wide receiver out of Tulane and he could apparently run really fast. That was emphasized by his impressive 4.38 time at the scouting combine. However, both scouts and coaches were quick to point out Mooney is much more than that. He’s a far more polished than he gets credit for.
One person who quickly found that out was Peyton Manning. On his latest ESPN+ episode of “Detail,” he covered the Bears’ wild comeback win over the Detroit Lions. During the review, he made some interesting points. One pet peeve of his was the tendency of wide receivers not always running their routes full speed. Here’s his example below.
Then he noticed Darnell Mooney
It came on a pass a little later in the game. Mitch Trubisky killed a play at the line of scrimmage and changed it into a play action. This caught the defense off guard, allowing Mooney find lots of space in the middle of the field. Trubisky finds him on a nice throw and the rookie gets a few extra for 19 yards. W
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What really stood out to Manning was how aggressive the kid was in his running of the route. There is no casualness. It’s 0 to 100 immediately.
It’s little wonder the coaches love him so much. That sort of commitment to his craft is something a lot of receivers who reach the NFL never understand. They think being fast or big is enough for them to have success. It doesn’t work that way at this level. Mooney is fast, but if he wants to be great he has to embrace the art of running routes.
