Chicago Bears: 5 Players who will break out in 2021
By Joseph Herff
Chicago Bears Breakout Candidate: Darnell Mooney, Wide Receiver
The Bears took Darnell Mooney in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Nobody expected him to see the field much as the Bears had some solid wide receivers in Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and Ted Ginn. Mooney was drafted as the Ginn replacement eventually after having time to develop.
Mooney took the job immediately though as he looked greatly impressive in the season opener against the Detroit Lions despite only playing in 32% of the snaps. He saw his snap counts continue to rise as he not only jumped Ted Ginn on the depth chart but additionally jumped Miller eventually getting at least 45 snaps and a 75% snap count from Weeks 7 to 14. He finished the year with 61 receptions for 631 yards and four touchdowns.
With improved quarterback play and overall offensive output, Mooney could see a major uptick in every category. His ability to burn a defense and route run was incredible for a fifth-round rookie and with his outstanding work ethic, he’s only going to get better. With Dalton, he will see more consistent quarterback play. With Fields, he will see accurate deep shots to rack up more yards and touchdowns.