With the NFL Draft Looming, Oklahoma's Marvin Mims Continues to Impress at Pro Day
NORMAN — Despite learning two new offensive systems and trying to develop chemistry with three different quarterbacks, Marvin Mims provided consistency across his three seasons in Norman.
Now he’s taking advantage of showing off his skillset to NFL scouts during the pre-draft process.
“Ever since the combine," Mims said Thursday after OU Pro Day, "things have blown up for me.”
Similar to teammate Anton Harrison, Mims was comfortable enough with his body of work to declare for the next level after his junior year at Oklahoma. The 5-foot-11, 183-pound pass catcher totaled 2,398 yards and 20 touchdowns in three seasons, including 1,083 last fall. The Sooners had plenty of fluctuation and inconsistency on the offensive side of the ball, but Mims remained a constant throughout the season.
The Frisco, TX, native turned heads with his speed recently at the NFL Combine, clocking a time of 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash and easing any potential concerns about lack of vertical speed. Mims was a true deep threat for the Sooners, averaging over 20 yards per catch across his final two seasons in Norman.
“A lot of teams just wanted to see how fast I could run, which, I did great, especially the way all the receivers ran," Mims said. "Me coming out with, I think, the fourth- or fifth-best 40 time at the combine was a huge thing for me. Then there’s route running, like little things I can just take away. I feel like I showed it great out there, so we’ll see how it goes after this with teams and stuff like that.”
At the combine, Mims mentioned how Oklahoma’s offensive system limited his route tree a bit in Jeff Lebby's spread-out look. He was able to expound on those comments Thursday, hitting on the fact that the Sooners rely heavily on giving pass catchers different options mid-route.
“We just run a different type of offense at OU,” Mims said following his Pro Day workout. “We don’t run the standardized NFL offense. We’re kind of spread out, run different routes, so just to show my versatility — inside and outside — did it both today. Been doing it for the last three years I’ve been here. I’ve known it. Coaches have known it. Players have known it. So just to be able to come out here and show scouts, it’s been pretty good.”
Mims is slowly creeping up draft boards, and after another strong performance at OU’s Pro Day, he’s trending more and more in the direction of a second- to third-round pick. The positive feedback he’s received from NFL personnel has been affirmation in his decision to make the jump to the next level.
“People are saying I play bigger than I actually am,” Mims said. “So that’s a huge thing. Just to be able to show I can do the gritty plays, go up and get it through a bigger defender, taller defender, thicker defender. It definitely helps at the next level. That’s what they’re looking for — especially in the NFL. Sometimes you’re going to be wide open. Sometimes you’re not. You still got to make the play.”
Mims was asked to do a lot in college, playing outside for Lincoln Riley, then moving to the slot, then playing mostly outside again for Lebby. Because of his experience across the field, his versatility will be a desired trait at the next level. He's open to playing different spots and can hurt the defense from multiple positions.
"I’ve met with a bunch of teams and they’re talking about I’m going to play both," Mims said. "Here, it’s been 50-50. Whether its with Lebby or Lincoln, it’s been 50-50 with injuries, stuff like that, moving outside, inside. So I think they know I can do both. I’m basically just doing those tuning things, tuning up routes, stuff like that, both inside and outside.
"Just proving to them, (so) they can see with their own eyes, I can do both."
