Bear Digest

Growth Process for 2020 Rookie Standouts

With regular growth Cole Kmet, Jaylon Johnson and Darnell Mooney could become standouts but they'll have an advantage now that none had when they made progress as 2020 rookies.
Gene Chamberlain|
Growth Process for 2020 Rookie Standouts
Growth Process for 2020 Rookie Standouts

The 2020 rookie class earned Bears GM Ryan Pace plenty of praise for finding ways to squeeze talent out of what essentially was a three-round draft.

The Bears found three impact rookies and it's possible others from the 2020 class could yet blossom.

However, they do know the potential for Cole Kmet, Darnell Mooney and Jaylon Johnson based on last year, and they have every reason to think each could go from rookie contributor to potential star

The logic revolves around what's about to happen in a week. A real offseason of on-field practice is about to start for all three. They all contributed despite no OTAs, no minicamp, no preseason. Now they'll get all of those.

Perhaps it's most critical for Johnson, who had to miss the last three games and playoff game due to an ankle injury.

"Any time you're a young guy, you play at a level that he played at last year, which he played well, and it's tough for a rookie especially with no OTAs, some of the things that he went through practice time-wise that he missed," defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend said. "He's only going to get better. But just the fine things of the position, more learning of the details of playing corner in the NFL and he'll get better."

Johnson didn't make an interception as a rookie but led all rookie cornerbacks in passes defended at 15. That was the ninth most among all cornerbacks. According to Pro Football Focus, he was only the 84th best with a 56.1 pass coverage grade after a fast start, but players who actually come up with interceptions receive big boosts in these grades.

Without Kyle Fuller, the Bears really do need Johnson to accelerate his progress and become their lockdown cornerback.

"I just think he's versatile," Townsend said. "He's no small guy. He can match up with different types of receivers. He can go against a big receiver, smaller receivers. His movement as well, he's a willing tackler. And then just his knowledge of the game. He's a sharp kid. He understands what offenses are trying to do. And that's impressive."

Mooney was the biggest surprise last year as a fifth-rounder and set the team rookie record for receptions with 61. So what can Mooney do with an actual offseason of work and a preseason? He has goals.

"You know I can only tell you what he's told me and that's to erase all potential," wide receivers coach Mike Furrey said. "You know I think a lot of people have told him what his potential is, how he can accomplish this and accomplish that. And I think right now it's going to be just erasing the potential and really just becoming obviously what he can become and obviously with his mindset, maturity, his discipline, who he is as a person.

"It's going to be fun to watch him from Year 1 to Year 2. But I think right now, and I think it's a goal of his too, it's to erase potential."

Kmet came along slowly like most tight ends, and they didn't use him extensively until close to midseason. Eventually he had more receptions (28) and for more yards (243) than any rookie tight end. Only Adam Trautman had more TD catches among rookie tight ends.

The natural order for tight ends seems to be a big jump in Year 2, anyway.

In recent drafts, tight end T.J. Hockenson went from 32 in year one to 67 catches in year two, Noah Fant from 40 to 62, Drew Sample from five to 40, Mike Gesicki from 22 to 51, Dallas Goedert from 33 to 58, Mark Andrews from 34 to 64 and Hayden Hurst from 13 to 30.

"The thing with Cole is, like anybody else that's always making that stride from Year 1 to Year 2," tight ends coach Clancy Barone said. "It's kind of like when we used to have preseason games and we will again this year but it's making that stride from the first preseason game to the second one.

"You always want to see that improvement. Same thing from his rookie year to his sophomore season."

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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