The Chicago Bears must build around these eight players in 2022

Chicago Bears Player to Build Around No. 2: Darnell Mooney

If Justin Fields is a player the team needs to build around, then so is his top target, Darnell Mooney. That’s right, Mooney is outperforming Allen Robinson this season. That’s not saying much though as he’s only on pace for 800 yards for a 16-game season and 850 yards now that the season is 17 games. He is also only on pace for four touchdowns (he has two currently).

This is still a slight upgrade over his 631 yards and four touchdowns last season. With Justin Fields throwing the football, Mooney is averaging 12.5 yards per reception, which is an improvement over 2020 at 10.3.

One area that has not improved is Mooney’s drops. He has three this year in nine games after only having one all season last year. Another issue happening with Mooney this season is his inability to gain yards after the catch. He only has 79 yards after the catch — this is on track for nearly 50% less than last season.

The good news is that the more reps Justin Fields has been receiving, the better he has looked every week. That should hopefully help Mooney’s numbers increase as well. The connection and trust between these two are important not only for the back half of the season but also for the future.