The Falcons expect more out of the sixth-year wide receiver in a good way.
Terrin Waack
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney finished out last season 8 yards short of the 1,000-yard mark.
He missed the Falcons' final game a 44-38 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers due to a shoulder injury. It was his only absence since signing with Atlanta during the 2024 offseason as a free agent.
"I didn't really come here for 1,000 yards," Mooney said. "I came here to win."
Besides, the 27-year-old has already reached that statistical milestone in his career.
A former 2020 fifth-round draft pick to the Chicago Bears, Mooney totaled 1,055 yards during his second year in the NFL. That's quite an accomplishment, especially since he was a later selection.
Case in point: Since 2020, there have been 23 players who broke 1,000 yards receiving in either their first or second season. Of those, only three were Day 3 draft picks. Everyone else went on Day 1 or 2. In addition to Mooney, 2021 fourth-rounder Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions and 2023 fifth-rounder Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams were arguably pleasant surprises to their respective teams early on.
However, between 2022-23, Mooney remained within the 400-yard range each season. The surprise wore off with the Bears. Therefore, when his rookie contract ended in Chicago,he moved to Atlanta on a three-year deal.
"I probably shouldn't say this," Falcons wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard said, "but it's safe to say that Moon re-introduced himself to the league a little bit last year."
Mooney had 64 receptions for 992 yards and five touchdowns. His 15.5 yards-per-catch average ranked third among players withat least 60 receptions, sixth among those withat least 45 receptionsand ninth among those withat least 30 receptions. Basically, he was one of the most explosive receivers with the most reps to prove it.
Of his career-high five touchdowns, the shortest went for 12 yards (in the Falcons' 36-30 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and the longest went for 41 yards (in the Falcons' 22-21 win against the eventual Super Bowl winning Philadelphia Eagles).
"I did pretty well with the deep routes," Mooney said. "The biggest thing, what I want to do, is catch the ball and take something to the crib, make at least three people miss and having some exciting plays."
The vast majority of Mooney's production last year came with quarterback Kirk Cousins. This year, Michael Penix Jr. is the Falcons' starter. So, Penix and Mooney will have to build upon the bond they began forming when Penix took over the role in Week 16. Good thing Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are underway.
Mooney's favorite part already about Penix is his arm strength. It bodes well for Mooney's goals. And Penix knows he can more times than not find Mooney open downfield to assist those goals.
"It's hard to cover him 1-on-1," Penix said. "Anytime we get those opportunities, we got to take advantage of them."
This season will technically be both Mooney's and Penix's second in Atlanta. Mooney, though, has the advantage of four previous seasons under his belt, meaning he's entering Year 6 overall. He's a veteran on an offense where most of the skill players are still seeing through their rookie contract Penix, wide receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.
Now that he showed what he can still do on the field in 2024, an even bigger 2025 is expected out of Mooney.
"We look at Mooney as, obviously, a yards-per-catch guy, a vertical threat (and) a veteran presence that can help, I think, with each guy in their role," Hilliard said. "Considering he was a fifth-round draft pick and earned an opportunity to earn a second contract, he knows what it takes to be a pro.
"So, we're going to lean on him a lot more than we did last year and see where that goes."
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