Falcons WR coach Ike Hilliard signaled that a larger role is on tap for veteran WR Darnell Mooney. The former Bear rebounded with 64 catches, 992 yards, and 5 TDs in 2024.
What They're Saying
Here's Hilliard speaking at Falcons minicamp (via Atlanta's official site):
"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."
2025 Fantasy Football Impact
Atlanta passed on upgrading at WR3 this offseason. They’ll run it back with Drake London, Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud.
TE Kyle Pitts enters what’ll likely be his final season with the Falcons. He’s currently rehabbing a foot injury.
QB Michael Penix Jr. will be the X factor for this unit. He was effective in 2024, posting 7.4 YPA while showing a willingness to push the ball downfield. Per PFF, 15.2% of his passes traveled 20+ air yards. That ranked sixth in a sample of 52 QBs.
Penix probably won’t emerge as anything more than a spot-start fantasy option. But we expect his play to support a 2024-like season from Mooney.
See where the 27-year-old sits in our updated WR rankings.