The Jets got themselves a new wide receiver in the second round of the NFL draft, selecting Denzel Mims with the 59th pick.
There’s a lot to like about the Baylor product, especially considering the Jets lacked depth at the position prior to the pick. Mims is fast, big-bodied, athletic and possesses a wide catch-radius. One of the most popular knocks against him, however, is that he sometimes struggles to haul the ball in.
“History of drops and poor success rate on contested catches,” reads a bullet on his NFL.com draft profile.
Mims did indeed show such a pattern at Baylor, recording an 11.4 percent drop rate for his career, per Pro Football Focus. However, he cut that percentage drastically as a senior, dropping five passes for a 4.3 percent rate, per ESPN Stats & Info. To put that number in perspective, that was a lower rate than CeeDee Lamb (5.4) and Jerry Jeudy (4.5), two of the top-rated receivers in this year’s class.
Furthermore, Mims corraled 20 contested balls in 2019 — good enough for the second-most in the country — on 41 chances, per PFF. That gave him a catch rate just under 50 percent on such passes, a strong showing for any receiver, but especially one who supposedly struggles in such situations.
While some may be worried about Mims’ drops and contested-catch ability, Baylor clearly had faith throwing him the ball. The hope in New York is that he’ll give the Jets reason to feel the same way. For what it’s worth, Joe Douglas said he’s not concerned about Mims’ hands.
Whatever one makes of Mims’ drops, though, there’s no disputing his production at Baylor. In four seasons he recorded 186 receptions, 2,925 yards and 28 touchdowns. He twice totaled more than 1,000 yards through the air.
If he can produce numbers close to those in the NFL, the Jets won’t mind a few drops here and there.
