The Jets entered Day 2 with a goal of getting Sam Darnold a No. 1 wide receiver. After trading back 11 picks, they did just that.
While Denzel Mims was the 13th wide receiver off the board, his fall came as a surprise to many. The Jets didn’t mind though, snatching him up with the 59th pick.
Let’s get to know Darnold’s newest weapon and what he brings to Gang Green.
Football family
Denzel Mims comes from a family of football players.
Three of Mims’ brothers played high school football. His cousin, David Mims II, played cornerback at Texas State, and David’s father was a running back for Baylor. Another cousin, Keyarris Garrett, led the nation in receiving yards as a senior and was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2016 out of Tulsa.
Now, it’s time for the Jets’ new wide receiver to carve out his own legacy, but his family certainly has had a lasting footprint on Texas football.
Big play potential
Denzel Mims is the epitome of a big-play receiver. He has an outstanding frame at 6-foot-3, 207-pounds, which presents a huge catch-radius for Sam Darnold.
There is a lot to like about Mims’ game, especially his ability to go up and get jump balls. His 38.5-inch vertical gives just a glimpse of his ability to go up and get passes. Beyond that, Mims is as physical as he is fast and he can turn on the jets in the open field. Anytime he touches the ball, Mims has a chance to make something happen out of nothing.
A “bad first experience” in a big city
Denzel Mims is headed to New York, but his last experience with a big city was rather forgettable.
Talking to the Philadelphia media, back when he was being considered an option for the Eagles in the first-round, Mims recounted his first memory in a big city. It didn’t exactly go as expected for Mims, who is from the small town of Dangerfield, Texas, which had a population of 2,413 as of 2017.
“The experience I had, I was very scared,” Mims said of his experience in Philadelphia.” I wasn’t familiar with the whole city, and it was a lot going on. You see a lot of people who look scary. I’m not a part of that, I don’t like that. So I mean, I had a bad experience, you could say, going up there for the first time. But I feel like if I just go there more, and I just get familiar with it, I could have a great time.”
Those answers might need some revisiting now that he’s landed in New York, but Jets fans will certainly be welcoming Sam Darnold’s new weapon with open arms.
Blazing Speed
Denzel Mims can absolutely fly.
The Jets needed to get speed on offense to replace Robby Anderson and they went out and got Breshad Perriman and now Mims. Mims has electric speed, as he was track star back in high school.
His 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine cemented just how fast Mims is. He ran an official time of 4.38. He has a serious set of wheels and adds a dimension to the Jets offense that they’ve been searching for.
