Chicago Bears News: 5 Depth chart surprises and more

Darnell Mooney looks to be ahead of Riley Ridley

When we saw clips of training camp and heard reports by players and coaches, Darnell Mooney’s name came up quite a bit actually. The fifth-round pick has seemed to have really made an impression with his speed and big-play ability.

Despite my assumption that Javon Wims was on the bubble, he is now slotted in as the WR5 on the depth chart, which is still considered second-string. He slots in behind Anthony Miller. Darnell Mooney however slots in behind Ted Ginn and Riley Ridley is the only wide receiver listed as third-string.

Now, this could just mean that Mooney’s playing style makes more sense to be behind Ginn, but Ridley is directly behind Ginn and Mooney as opposed to being behind Miller and Wims. Nevertheless, I expect to see all of these guys out on the field at some point. Do not forget how Wims impressed in the offseason last year but essentially was very inefficient during games.

Ridley will need to make the most of his opportunities, but he does not look to be catching his brother Calvin Ridley of the Atlanta Falcons in regards to playing time and target share. Mooney on the other hand could see some solid action and likely has a specific set of plays to work with this year.