2023 NFL Draft: Interview with Fresno State RB Jordan Mims
Jordan Mims leaves Fresno State as one of the most prolific offensive players. His name hovers near the top of every rushing category in Bulldogs history.
Mims made First-Team All-Mountain West honors this past season after compiling 1,372 rushing yards along with 18 touchdowns. He finished with an impressive 209-yard performance on 18 carries and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ win over Washington State (29-6) in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.
CAREER NUMBERS IN THE RECORD BOOKS:
· Rushing Yards: 3,290 - 4th All-Time
· Rushing Touchdowns: 37 - T3rd All-Time
· Rushing Attempts: 680 - 2nd All-Time
· 150-Yard Rushing Games: 5 - T3rd All-Time
· Pass Receptions By A Running Back: 91 - 4th All-Time
· All-Purpose Yardage: 4,592 - 5th All-Time
· Scoring Leaders (TDs): 45 - 2nd All-Time
“I feel like I pattern my game after Christian McCaffrey,” Mims said. “He is a guy who does a lot for the 49ers. He catches the ball really well and runs the ball hard. He is kind of that guy who can do everything. So, I’d love to be that guy.”
Recently, Mims was doing his best to impersonate the All-Pro running back at the East West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas. It wasn’t out of the ordinary to witness Mims slashing one way as the defender clumsily staggered in the other direction.
His shiftiness and burst are noticeable to the human eye, but his own eyes are what Mims proclaims to be vital to his fabulous career at Fresno State.
“I’d say my eyes,” Mims replied to what he told NFL scouts were one of his best qualities during interviews at the Shrine game. “My vision and me being patience go a long way in how I play.”
Mims quickly identifies the gaps necessary for a positive gain. He exploits defenses with his fast diagnosis of where to go with the football. Once he hits the accelerator, the California native is churning out big chunks of yards.
Despite his illustrious career at Fresno State, Mims remains committed to convincing NFL scouts he has the goods to make the 53-man roster.
“I wasn’t a guy who was highly recruited out of high school,” Mims said. “I got a lot of my offers late. I made the most of my opportunities in college. Me playing in the Mountain West. We have played Pac-12 teams and I remember my freshman year, we played Alabama. Just getting the opportunity to show that I can play against higher-level guys. I can also be that caliber player.”
A bit undersized at 5-foot-10 and 200-pounds when checking in at the Shrine game, he looked more compact and equipped in person. As a true freshman, he started three games and played in all 14, and ended his career playing in 57 of the 59 games on the Bulldogs schedule throughout his career.
“Overall, I was pretty happy with what I did,” Mims said about his time at the East West Shrine Bowl. “In that time span, it’s kind of hard to always be perfect. You always want to clean up certain stuff. I think I made the most of my opportunity in front of the scouts and coaches.”
The feeling was mutual amongst the media in attendance. Twitter was flooded with replays from practice or during the game involving Mims.
With the Shrine game in the rearview mirror, Mims is back at X3 Performance in Fort Myers, Florida. Training for his Pro Day is going to be the next essential step towards Mims earning the trust of NFL scouts.
He has checked the boxes on a standout college career and all-star performance.
Pro Day signals another obstacle for Mims to showcase is worthiness for a career in the National Football League.
