The New York Jets selected wide receiver Denzel Mims with the 59th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Mims was a three-year starter at Baylor, where he has football bloodlines. His uncle David Mims was a running back for the Bears in the early 1990s, and had a cup of coffee with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL, where he tallied 15 catches and a touchdown before retiring after two seasons.
Denzel Mims thrust himself back into the first-round discussion with a bounce-back senior season after a disappointing junior campaign, returning to the 1,000-yard form of his sophomore year. And things really heated up after Mims put on a show at the Scouting Combine.
Here's what you need to know about Denzel Mims:
Measurables: 6’3”/207
School: Baylor
2019 Stats: 66 receptions, 1,020 yards, 15.5 average, 12 touchdowns
Accolades: First-Team All-Big 12 2019, Second-Team All-Big 12 2017
Strengths:
• Impressed at both the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine
• Ran blazing 4.38-second 40-yard dash
• Smooth, easy athleticism with a low-effort style -- looks like he's only playing at three-quarter speed
• Good height, long arms, and impressive body control for a man his size
• Huge catch radius and ability to put lower half to sleep along sidelines shows up in circus catches on game film
• Plus blocker
• Four years' experience, including three as a starter
Weaknesses:
• Questionable hands - must shake off 24 career drops despite improvement as senior
• Yards-after-catch production not there, despite prototype size and speed
• Often relies on bigger body and ball skills to make contested catches downfield - will that formula work against NFL corners?
• Needs to improve route running and separation skills
Expert scout analysis:
• "Great size and speed, allowing him to challenge defenses both over the top and in the red zone" -- Todd McShay of ESPN
• "Touchdown threat anytime he's near the red zone" -- Lance Zierlein of NFL.com
• "Some of the best ball skills in this year's wide receiver class" -- Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus
Tape:
Player Comparison: D.J. Chark, per Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports
Mims, like Jaguars wide receiver Chark before him, was a well-regarded prospect and really improved his draft stock by flashing top-tier athleticism at the combine. After seeing few chances as a receiver in his rookie year, Chark quietly broke out last season as a sophomore to the tune of nearly 1,200 receiving yards. Mims would certainly be thrilled with that sort of trajectory.
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