Chicago Bears: 5 players breathing sigh of relief after 2021 NFL Draft

Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney should feel relieved after the 2021 NFL Draft

You could argue that Anthony Miller should be the one who is a bit more relieved at the moment, at that would make sense. There were whispers of the Bears wanting to trade or even cut Miller before the draft — and they still might do so after drafting Dazz Newsome. But, a threat never came to the playing time of Darnell Mooney.

In the first round alone, we saw five wide receivers get drafted. By the time the Bears would have picked at no. 20, they could have had one of Rashod Bateman or Kadarius Toney. Both would have been strong possibilities if they stood pat at their original spot.

If the Bears had drafted one of those two, Mooney’s role definitely wouldn’t have been the same. Both Bateman and Toney are dynamic playmakers, with Bateman being more of an outside threat than anything. That would have forced Mooney to the slot at times, depending on the type of formation.

While a top-tier receiver would have been fun to see drafted, it also would have stung for Mooney. Many believe Mooney is more than good enough to become a strong WR2 in this league. As a fifth-round pick last year, he genuinely surprised people. Mooney is locked and loaded as the Bears’ no. 2 guy, and he should feel excited about that — and so should the fans.