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Film study: New Bears WR Darnell Mooney brings much-needed speed element to offense

The Bears added some athleticism to the wide receiver position with their selection of Darnell Mooney.

Wake Forest v Tulane Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

The Bears traded up into the fifth round twice, and with the No. 173 overall pick, they took Tulane wide receiver Darnell Mooney.

Mooney was a four-year starter at the collegiate level, and he proved to be a dynamic weapon in Tulane’s offense. Despite subpar quarterback play, he tallied 154 catches, 2,572 yards and 19 touchdowns in his four years there, giving him an average of 16.7 yards per catch. A dynamic speedster with agility after the catch and surprisingly good jump-ball abilities, the 5-foot-10, 176-pound receiver ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the Combine.

This selection could end up proving to be a great one for the Bears, as they found the speed receiver they needed for their offense on Day 3. He projects well as a ‘Z’ receiver who can fill Taylor Gabriel’s old role with a similar skill set. For more information on the pick, check out my Twitter thread on Mooney:

What do you think of the selection of Darnell Mooney? Let me know in the comments, or tell me in the replies of the thread above.

We have even more on Darnell Mooney in this mini-podcast from Robert Schmitz, where he’s joined by our Lead Draft Analyst Jacob Infante and our Senior Draft Analyst EJ Snyder.