The New York Jets lost receiver Robby Anderson in free agency and the once-promising Quincy Enunwa might never pay football again due to injuries. The Jets have signed two former first round picks who haven’t lived up to their draft slot in Josh Doctson and Breshad Perriman. However, the success of the Jets receivers very well could come down to 2020 second-round draft pick Denzel Mims.
Mims has the size, at 6-3, 207 lbs., and talent to emerge as the Jets’ best receiver in years. He ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and 6.66 three-cone time to go along with a 38.5 vertical jump. Quite simply, the guy is an athletic freak and is the Jets’ best receiving prospect since the Jets tabbed Santana Moss in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft with the 16th overall pick.
Sam Darnold has not had a receiver of Mims’ talent since taking over as the Jets’ quarterback in 2018. The Jets, and Darnold, will need Mims to learn the offense fast, a tall task given the uncertainty of training camps due to Covid-19 restrictions currently in place. Teams are trying to deal with this new world of restrictions and social distancing while also making sure their newly drafted rookies can hit training camp running. There is hope that restrictions will be lifted soon and that the new rookies will be able to fully participate but right now that is a hope and not reality. Mims will need to be a sponge and absorb the Jets offense, and the Jets coaching staff will need to adjust their play-calling if necessary to ensure they are putting Mims on the field in a position to succeed. He wasn’t challenged a lot while at Baylor in terms of route running so there could be a learning curve there for him.
This is a new world we currently find ourselves in and the Jets, like all teams in every sport right now, must adjust accordingly. They will face one of the toughest schedules in the NFL in 2020 and the Jets will need Mims to be a big part of their offense if they want to compete this year. Mims has the talent to be an outstanding receiver and could be one of Darnold’s favorite targets. Now Jets fans just have to hope he can get up to speed on the offense as quickly as possible.
The Jets haven’t had a receiver with Mims’ talent in years. He has the ability to stretch the field and be a target in the red zone with his speed and size. The Jets haven’t invested much in receivers, aside from a smattering of mid to late round picks over the last decade. The two exceptions were Devin Smith and Stephen Hill, both second round picks in 2015 and 2012 respectively. Neither one could put it together at the NFL level but neither had the overall talent of Mims.
There is no doubt that Mims has the talent. However, he will need to learn to play receiver at an NFL level. He won’t be able to rely on physical traits and talent alone. It will be an uphill battle this offseason but he does have the drive to learn and ability to be a real home run threat. He is a project but if the chips fall into place he could be a true number receiver, something the Jets have lacked for well over a decade.
