New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims had some high expectations during his rookie season. As a second-round pick out of Baylor, New York was hopeful that he could help turn around what was the least inspiring wide receiver group in the NFL.
Unfortunately for Mims, he was put on injured reserve with a hamstring injury to begin the season. He also suffered a concussion in the team’s last game of the season against the New England Patriots.
All in all, Mims played in nine games for the Jets, with eight starts, catching 23 of his 44 targets for 357 yards and zero touchdowns. He did show some flashes, especially with his downfield ability. But, bizarrely, he would only get work during one half of the game. Whether that was to limit reps as he was coming back from a hamstring injury or not, trying to make sense of something Adam Gase did as head coach is an impossible task.
Coming into Year 2, there is hope that Mims will break out, but that will be easier said than done. While he has the draft pedigree to get a shot, the new coaching staff is not going to just hand him a role in this offense.
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has said that Mims plays big on the outside, praising his deep ball abilities, but he needs to improve his route running inside the numbers. The west coast offense is predicated on short and intermediate routes, something Mims has to improve on.
In addition to the coaching change, Mims also faces stiff competition on the Jets’ roster. Corey Davis and Keelan Cole were signed in free agency and expect to be in the top four of the team’s depth chart. The other two spots will be held down by Jamison Crowder, who has led the team in receiving the last two seasons and rookie Elijah Moore will also be ahead of him.
Mims ran with the second-team offense in OTA’s but battled an illness that limited his reps. In training camp, he has been moved even further down the depth chart, running with the third-team wide receivers.
Facing an uphill battle, it is difficult to envision a breakout occurring with the Jets this season. He has stiff competition for targets and has a lot of work to do when it comes to his route running, an area he was limited in coming out of Baylor.
As things currently stand, Denzel Mims is, at best, 7th on the Jets’ depth chart. While he still has plenty of time to move up into a more prominent role, it is difficult to envision him getting higher than fifth unless injuries or ineffectiveness plagued the veterans or Moore and Mims is given a shot.
