What had already been an offseason to forget for Denzel Mims has taken a turn for the worst in the early days of Jets training camp.
After spending the spring working with New York’s second-team offense, Mims has tumbled even further down Mike LaFleur’s wide receiver depth chart. The Baylor product worked alongside Lawrence Cager and Jeff Smith with the Jets’ third-string wide receiver group on Friday, according to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes. Braxton Berrios, Elijah Moore and Vyncint Smith received the second-team reps.
Mims was a perfect fit in Adam Gase’s system as a rookie and flashed his big-play potential on a weekly basis, but there is a concern that he is a square peg in a round hole in Mike LaFleur’s offense. LaFleur’s scheme emphasizes short and intermediate route running. The offensive coordinator said during the spring that he wanted to see Mims’ route running between the numbers improve, but LaFleur was also complimentary of New York second-round pick from a year ago, praising his ability to make plays down the field.
Mims’ fall to third-team is an indication that he is not where the Jets need him to be in his development right now. Berrios, Moore and even Smith, on the other hand, look like better fits in the offense.
There could still be a place for Mims in the Jets’ offense in 2021 — even the west coast system needs a reliable deep threat — but the likes of Moore, Keelan Cole and Corey Davis can also make plays downfield and are far from one-trick ponies. New York cannot afford to run Mims out there with its first-team offense if his route tree remains limited.
Mims was at the top of the Jets’ wide receiver depth chart less than a year ago. Now, he will have to spend the next month climbing his way back up from the bottom of the pecking order. His ability to do so could go a long way in determining how his future with New York plays out.
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