NFL 2022: Ranking the 5 worst wide receiver groups in the league
![Dec 20, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (11) is unable to make a catch in front of Minnesota Vikings cornerback Bashaud Breeland (21) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Minnesota Vikings won 17-9. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports Dec 20, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (11) is unable to make a catch in front of Minnesota Vikings cornerback Bashaud Breeland (21) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Minnesota Vikings won 17-9. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/27616c84d8c72f7f8607e4af40e51aaf8af971646892cd0029b781911a32bc89.jpg)
No. 1 worst wide receiver group in the NFL: Chicago Bears
- Darnell Mooney
- Equanimeous St. Brown
- Byron Pringle
- Velus Jones Jr
- Dante Pettis
I told you the NFC North would be well represented on this list. And it’s not the Lions and definitely not the Vikings.
The Chicago Bears traded away a portion of their future to draft quarterback Justin Fields in 2021 and to further invest in their quarterback they put him behind a mediocre offensive line and schemed his best receiver (Allen Robinson, now a LA Ram) out of the game plan.
Things did not get better in the 2022 offseason. After watching Robinson sign with the Rams they signed St. Brown, Pringle, and Pettis in free agency and drafted Jones Jr. (a projected 5th rounder) in the 3rd round.
Pringle is the only free agent that could be considered a decent piece of the offense but St. Brown played in 13 games in 2021 and secured zero touchdowns on 9 receptions for 98 yards.
It gets better.
St. Brown has just one touchdown in his career in the NFL over three seasons.
Mooney lead the way for the Bears in 2021 and while 1,055 receiving yards is significant it was followed by only four touchdowns. We’ll see how he fares in 2022 with the top corners trending towards his side of the field with Robinson’s absence.
The main reason this receiving corps is so tough to look at is because Justin Fields is still in a developmental stage and hasn’t found his place within the NFL yet, nor has he had a chance to become comfortable in an offensive system with another new head coach.
A weak group of receivers does not help his transition, especially when he has enough faults of his own to work on being ranked 31st in QBs on yards, touchdowns, and QBR. An error-prone quarterback with error-prone receivers will not help this situation.
There you have it, the worst group of wide receivers currently in the NFL heading into the 2022 season; the Chicago Bears.