Jaylen Waddle Explains Why He's Such a Big Fan of Marvin Mims Jr.

Marvin Mims Jr. isn't going quietly into that good night.

The arrival of veteran Jaylen Waddle via a blockbuster trade pushed every Broncos receiver not named Courtland Sutton down the depth chart, but in Mims's case, there were even more questions about how he'd fit into the offense. That's mainly because Waddle and Mims are receivers of a similar type, though the former is obviously far more refined and accomplished than the latter.

However, something about Waddle's arrival seems to have sparked Mims, perhaps in the same way that the Jahdae Barron selection in Round 1 last year motivated cornerbacks Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian to turn in their very best years. Throw in the fact that Mims is entering a contract year, and the new vision of offensive coordinator Davis Webb, and the fourth-year wideout has definitely looked different since training camp started.

However, if you were expecting some kind of rivalry to be brewing between Waddle and Mims, you'll want to pay close attention to what was said at the podium on Tuesday. Waddle made it clear that he's quite a big admirer of Mims.

"I'm a big fan of Marvin Mims [Jr.]," Waddle said. "He's extremely explosive, and I love watching him work."

It sounds like Mims has been a good sounding board for Waddle in the meeting rooms, too. Waddle is a sixth-year veteran, but he's assimilating a new system, after all, so any insight from the guys in the receiver room is most helpful in minimizing the learning curve.

"I enjoy being in meetings with him and picking his brain," Waddle said. "Marvin is a big play waiting to happen at any moment. Defenses have to respect that kind of speed, and it's been great watching him."

Plans in Motion

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle catches a pass during OTA practice at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. | Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

The Broncos obviously have some big plans for Waddle, but based on what we've seen through five official practices, Mims seems to have been re-prioritized in the offense. It's early, so we'll have to see how it shakes out in September and beyond, but the initial returns point in that direction.

And it's about time, too. Mims was oddly iced out of the Broncos' passing offense last year, finishing with career-low receiving numbers.

In the playoffs, though, both Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant went down with injuries, which forced the Broncos to play Mims, Lil'Jordan Humphrey, and even Elijah Moore. Humphrey made some big plays in the divisional round, but Mims was a force to be reckoned with throughout the playoffs, finishing the tournament as Denver's leading receiver.

Fans are already licking their chops at the notion of Sutton and Waddle decimating defenses. With two top-tier receivers, opponents won't be able to shade coverage one way, which will force them to play the Broncos more honestly.

Now throw into that schematic conflict for defenses the additional speed and explosiveness that Mims brings to the table. Opponents won't know which way is up, and with Bo Nix's improved throwing motion, the ball is going to come out on time, giving these Broncos wideouts the opportunity to gain some serious yards after the catch.

We wondered how much Webb's offensive philosophies and unique view of the personnel would impact the usage of Mims and tight end Evan Engram, specifically. The early camp returns point to Webb having created a much bigger seat at the table for the two pass-catchers, both of whom were frankly under-utilized last season by Sean Payton.

It's exciting stuff.

The Takeaway

The definitive answers won't be had until the fall, but it's great to hear Waddle's complimentary view of Mims. Those two could get along swimmingly and really elevate the Broncos' offense.

Webb has talked about why he believes Waddle's arrival could herald a Year-3 leap from Nix, but we should throw Mims and Engram into that equation, as the new offensive coordinator seems to have bigger things in mind for them both this season.

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