By the end of the preseason, the only people who realistically had high hopes for New York Giants receiver Darnell Mooney were those who’d long since rostered him in dynasty leagues.
Despite his familiarity with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and the early buzz about him emerging as a reliable weapon for Jaxson Dart, it quickly became apparent that Mooney would be a backup option at best. Things got to a point where he was floated as a potential cut candidate, though that never came to fruition.
Mooney has instead come off the bench in the Giants’ first two games, recording four catches for 75 yards. Much of that production came on a 33-yard reception in Monday’s loss to the Rams, though, and he’s essentially been a non-factor.
Dart’s severe knee injury just threw a wrench into the Giants’ projected offensive plans, though the only impact that could have on Mooney is whether he’ll be around much longer.
Darnell Mooney seemingly has no place in the New York Giants’ future
Mooney’s snap counts have actually been fairly healthy, with him taking the field for 57 and 72 percent of the Giants’ offensive snaps through the first two games. And his aforementioned four catches for 75 yards aren’t worth immediately dismissing, so what’s the problem? Why are we so down on Mooney?
Think about the Giants’ overall receiving corps for a moment. Malik Nabers has avoided any setbacks with his knee, and tight end Isaiah Likely has more than met expectations. Although rookie Malachi Fields only has four catches for 55 yards, he's drawn 10 targets thus far and looks comfortable in Nagy’s offense.
Could Winston’s return to the starting lineup mean more targets for Mooney? Sure, but we’re pessimistic that’ll happen barring further injuries; Nabers briefly left Monday’s loss with a shoulder injury, and the Giants have not confirmed if he’ll play against the Titans (0-2) this coming weekend.
Even with everything working in his favor this past summer, Mooney did nothing to stand out. If you prefer to look at the overpriced bottle as half full, then you could claim that the lack of attention was a positive. Wouldn’t you rather hear nothing at all than have your social media filled with updates about drops or work ethic?
Sunday afternoon will be pivotal in determining how Mooney truly fits into the equation. Could this be an instance of a receiver seeing his stock surge when a backup enters the fray? Arizona’s Michael Wilson turned into a No. 1 receiver when Jacoby Brissett replaced Kyler Murray last fall.
And no, we’re not predicting that Mooney will suddenly finish with over 70 catches and 1,000 yards. That’d certainly be a welcome sight, albeit one that feels about as likely as Brian Daboll switching up his excuses after a Titans loss.
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