Matt Rhule has all the confidence that Denzel Mims can succeed in New York with the Jets.
Rhule was on “The Last Stand Podcast” with Brian Cluster recently and spoke highly of his former Baylor wideout. Rhule believes Mims’ work ethic will ultimately be the driving force in Jets fans falling in love with their new playmaker.
“I grew up in that area and I know one thing about Jets’ fans: They want toughness,” Rhule said on the podcast. “They want someone who’s going to compete. They want grinders and workers, and that’s what Denzel is… He’s not going to be some guy who’s all about the headlines. He’s a worker.”
The Jets have high expectations for Mims after taking him 59th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. He has all the measurables to be a go-to wide receiver. Mims is 6-foot-2, 207 pounds and ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in February. He’s also a great route runner and can make contested catches.
Mims’ biggest concern is the dropped passes. There were too many of those at Baylor. However, he did improve on them each year. By Mims’ senior year, he only dropped five balls.
For Mims, his ability to contribute early on is going to come down to building chemistry with Sam Darnold. Darnold has to be able to trust Mims if the wideout wants to see the ball go in his direction. It’s going to take some time for them to connect, especially with an abnormal offseason. Mims, however, is down in Florida working with Darnold and several other Jets skill players.
That’s a step in the right direction for the rookie.