47. Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 207
40-Yard Dash: 4.38 seconds
Bench Press: 16 reps
Vertical Jump: 38.5 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet 11 inches
3-Cone Drill: 6.66 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.43 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: We often hear about the dynamic “three-sport athlete” in high school, who chose to focus on the gridiron but could have been an impact athlete in any number of collegiate sports. Denzel Mims is the rare “four-sport athlete,” who lettered in track, basketball, football and baseball. A three-star recruit coming out of Daingerfield High School in Texas, the only big programs to offer him a football scholarship were Texas Tech and Baylor. Mims headed to Waco, and broke out with a huge sophomore season that saw him haul in 61 passes for 1,087 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 17.8 yards per reception.
He failed to match those numbers as a junior, and his production slid to just 55 catches for 794 yards and eight more TDs. Pro Football Focus charted him with 11 drops on 66 catchable passes, and his hands will be a focus of discussion in a few minutes. But last year Mims rebounded a bit, posting a career-high 66 receptions for 1,015 yards and a career-best 12 touchdowns.
Stat to Know: Issues at the catch point were not isolated to 2018. PFF charted Mims with 18 drops on 139 catchable passes, a 12.9% drop rate.
Strengths: Given his background in basketball and track, it should not be surprised that Mims is an explosive receiver who can make the spectacular catch look routine, and often goes up to get the football on passes that seem destined to be overthrows or land near the cheerleaders. Mims is an expert at the back shoulder catch, and is adept at adjusting to throws downfield either by twisting his body towards the sideline, or tracking the football down over his shoulder.
Mims is also a tough receiver, willing to work over the middle of the field and make the tough catch in traffic.
As a route-runner, he flashes good pace with his releases, and does a decent job at setting defenders up for double moves or sudden breaks. He is also a savvy player when the ball is in the air who will use his off arm to maintain space, while not doing enough to draw a flag for pass interference. Mims also has great feel for getting “into the blind spot” of a cornerback, before making a cut or releasing vertically. In the red zone, his catch radius and ability to play above the rim truly stands out.
Additionally, books might be written about his pre-draft process. After Baylor’s bowl game Mims headed to Mobile for the Senior Bowl and looked like the best receiver down in Alabama. He showed a great connection with quarterback Jalen Hurts and looked every bit the part of an NFL deep threat. Then Mims went to Indianapolis and made Lucas Oil Field his playground. His testing at the Combine truly turned heads, and his eventual draft position will be largely influenced with how he handled his opportunities leading up to the draft. If you consider that teams want to see how prospects take care of business on their own during this part of the calendar, Mims truly aced this portion of the test.
Weaknesses: Mims ran a limited route tree at Baylor. The routes he did run, such a curls, hitches, go routes and slants, he ran well, but the team that drafts him will need to ease him into the entire playbook. He also is limited after the catch, and averaged just 2.8 yards after the catch last season according to PFF, which tied him for 318th among collegiate receivers. If you are looking for a threat in the screen game, hopefully you are looking for a blocker. Mims had just one – yes one – screen reception last year and was held to no gain. More often Baylor would use him as the blocker on screen plays, which is a job he can handle. Then there is the drop issue. Mims had seven drops in 2019, and there are moments when he will drop the easy throw, such as a slant route, and will then make a spectacular catch. Some, such as Benjamin Solak from The Draft Network, have posited that it is a concentration issue with Mims: “Drops come when he gets lazy – doesn’t reach full extension, claps as he looks to turn upfield too early, or is running a shallow cross or slant or something similarly boring.” This is an issue of concern to watch as he transitions to the NFL.
Conclusion: Ultimately, Mims has the kind of raw traits, athleticism, and yes pre-draft process that is going to attract teams in a few weeks. His potential is a huge positive working in his favor, and he enters the draft on a huge upswing given what he did down in Mobile and at the Combine. He will need to expand his route diversity, and the drops are an issue he will need to contend with, but players of his size and explosiveness are not exactly a dime a dozen. You can see him taking on a rotational role immediately at either X or even the “Z” receiver spot, depending on the offense, and as he develops more diversity to his routes he can become that featured wideout by his second season.
Comparison: We can go old school here and talk about Willie Gault. Mims is a few inches taller, but both were track stars who became vertical threats in the NFL. Gault was a feared player down the field, keeping defenses honest while also dealing with the running game led by Walter Payton. Putting Mims on a play-action heavy team, like perhaps Baltimore, would be a nightmare for opposing defenses.