Chicago Bears: 3 early surprises after Week 2

Chicago Bears found another mid-round gem?

Ryan Pace has a history of finding gems in the mid-rounds of the NFL Draft. It appears through two weeks of the season, that he may be able to add another name to the list of mid-round steals thanks to the play of rookie wide receiver Darnell Mooney.

Throughout camp, we heard that Mooney was impressing the coaching staff, playing with a maturity and level of knowledge beyond his years. Now, training camp reports must be taken with a huge grain of salt, but this one appears to be as legit as they come.

Mooney made an immediate impact in game one against the Detroit Lions. He hauled in all three of his targets for 38 yards, but throughout the game, he demonstrated why the Bears drafted him as he routinely got great separation from his defender ( 3.16 yards).

In Week 2, the Bears felt so confident about Mooney that Ted Ginn was inactive. Mooney impressed again, not only with his route running and separation but his blocking as well. He also hauled in a beautiful jump ball for a touchdown on a broken play.

The rookie has fit in seamlessly to this offense and looks nothing like a rookie, much less a fifth-round pick. He’s must-watch television in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons.