Jets second-round pick Denzel Mims is going to have some lofty expectations on him in New York, but there should not be any need to worry.
At least according to his former coach.
"He's a guy that Jets fans are going to love," Matt Rhule told Al Iannazzone of Newsday. "He's blue-collar, tough guy, but yet he still runs 4.38 [40-yard dash]. He's going to be a deep-ball threat. He's got great hands, really, really smart, really tough and competitive."
Rhule, who is now the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, took over as head coach of Baylor when Mims was a sophomore with just three games under his belt. From there, Mims developed from a three-star high school recruit to one of the best wide receivers in the nation.
Mims wrapped up his senior season with a career-high 66 receptions and 12 touchdowns, along with 1,020 receiving yards. He hauled in at least eight TDs in his three seasons under Rhule, and also had a 60-catch, 1,000-yard sophomore season.
His junior year was Mims' only hiccup, finishing with 55 catches and 794 yards, but Rhule acknowledged the wide receiver was hurt that season and eventually needed hand surgery.
Rhule said that is just a testament to Mims' toughness.
"The Jets are getting an unbelievably tough, hard-working guy," he said. "This past spring, he had to have surgery and he still wanted to proactive. He went through seven or eight practices before he had surgery. Here's a guy who knows he's going to get drafted high and he's out there still practicing, playing on special teams."
Coincidentally, Mims is going to be tasked with replacing Robby Anderson – who will be playing for Rhule in Carolina.
Anderson and quarterback Sam Darnold had an excellent rapport together, something that could take time to develop with Mims. But after falling to the 59th pick in the draft despite being projected as a borderline first rounder, Mims has a bit of a chip on his shoulder to prove his doubters wrong.
"His best football is still ahead of him and the greatest thing about him is he's a guy that wants to learn," Rhule said. "He's not one of those guys who thinks he has it all figured out. He wants to get better. He wants to improve. He's driven to be good."
