Matt Nagy: Darnell Mooney has the ability to be Tyreek Hill or DeSean Jackson

[Pegger]

Jackson's greatest asset was actually not his speed. It was how well he tracked the ball while in the air. It was critical in his success and when teamed up with his speed it made him one of the best pure deep threats of all time.

I only mention this because it's not something that can be taught very well. Often it's a god given ability. I cannot speak to how Mooney showed this, but I wanted to say it's a lot more complicated than just being fast.

 

[modo]

Jackson's greatest asset was actually not his speed. It was how well he tracked the ball while in the air. It was critical in his success and when teamed up with his speed it made him one of the best pure deep threats of all time.

I only mention this because it's not something that can be taught very well. Often it's a god given ability. I cannot speak to how Mooney showed this, but I wanted to say it's a lot more complicated than just being fast.

Everyone talks about speed. That is a component. The best WRs understand where the ball is and the defender is in relation to the ball.

It is the difference to reacting to the ball and anticipating the catch. Great college athletes can do the former, great pros do the latter.

 

[Pegger]

Everyone talks about speed. That is a component. The best WRs understand where the ball is and the defender is in relation to the ball.

It is the difference to reacting to the ball and anticipating the catch. Great college athletes can do the former, great pros do the latter.

If you watch some of Desean's best plays it's important to watch how effortless it is to track the ball and adjust his route without losing speed. Then after he left I'd watch other WRs get a similar throw, but it looks like they are 1-3 yards away from the target spot. It would completely change the way a DC would call things because he knew if he left his DB alone and the pressure didn't come through he'd be boned.

One interesting side that relates to this is Jameis Winston (stick with me). Winston has always had issues pushing the ball deep. One year he had two deep ball studs in Mike Evans and Desean Jackson and still struggled there. When Arians came to Tampa he forced Winston to grip and rip and that became the 33TD, 30 INT season he's largely known for. I mention this because Winston has been recently linked to the Bears. I think it would directly hurt someone like Mooney's development to have him come to Chicago.

 

[Aesopian]

https://www.reddit.com/r/CHIBears/comments/m1pqy9