As part of an ongoing Rookie Comparison Series, Sam Wallace takes a closer look at Darnell Mooney’s rookie season through the lens of The RotoViz Screener. Does the arrival of rookie quarterback Justin Fields signify a second-year breakout or is Mooney best left on your bench?

An annual tradition in the fantasy football community consists of trying to identify the next breakout wide receiver. At the risk of exaggerating, it feels as if several dozen players could finish as WR2s every year. Everyone seems to have their favorite pick of the bunch, but we all know not everyone will break out the way we want. As part of this rookie comparison series, I’ve chosen to take a look at a unique sophomore prospect who received a new quarterback and should push for the clear WR2 job on his team.

Darnell Mooney is an intriguing prospect with exciting historical comps. However, I’ll also explore a few of his red flags and decide if he’s simply the next generation deep threat or if he’s poised to elevate his game. We might be on the edge of finding the next consistent fantasy producer at the wide receiver position.

Small School, Late Declare, and The Big “What If”

Mooney hails from Tulane (not a Power 5 Conference) and posted respectable numbers as a four-year player. Our own Matt Wispe took a closer look at Mooney’s profile near the end of the 2018 season and mentioned how it would be prudent for him to declare after that season. However, Mooney decided to return for a final season where he failed to set new career marks in any meaningful receiving category.