Mooney had 64 receptions for 992 yards and five touchdowns. His 15.5 yards-per-catch average ranked third among players with at least 60 receptions, sixth among those with at least 45 receptions and ninth among those with at least 30 receptions. Basically, he was one of the most explosive receivers with the most reps to prove it.
Of his career-high five touchdowns, the shortest went for 12 yards (in the Falcons' 36-30 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and the longest went for 41 yards (in the Falcons' 22-21 win against the eventual Super Bowl winning Philadelphia Eagles).
"I did pretty well with the deep routes," Mooney said. "The biggest thing, what I want to do, is catch the ball and take something to the crib, make at least three people miss and having some exciting plays."
The vast majority of Mooney's production last year came with quarterback Kirk Cousins. This year, Michael Penix Jr. is the Falcons' starter. So, Penix and Mooney will have to build upon the bond they began forming when Penix took over the role in Week 16. Good thing Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are underway.
Mooney's favorite part already about Penix is his arm strength. It bodes well for Mooney's goals. And Penix knows he can more times than not find Mooney open downfield to assist those goals.
"It's hard to cover him 1-on-1," Penix said. "Anytime we get those opportunities, we got to take advantage of them."
This season will technically be both Mooney's and Penix's second in Atlanta. Mooney, though, has the advantage of four previous seasons under his belt, meaning he's entering Year 6 overall. He's a veteran on an offense where most of the skill players are still seeing through their rookie contract – Penix, wide receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.
Now that he showed what he can still do on the field in 2024, an even bigger 2025 is expected out of Mooney.
"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."