Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Draft Prospect Profile | WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
Denzel Mims
Height: 6-foot 3
Weight: 215 lbs
Grade: Senior
School: Baylor
Every year, NFL teams find an excuse to push a great receiver into the second day of the draft, and every year some team gets lucky enough to benefit from the rest of the league’s mistakes. This year, that receiver might be Denzel Mims.
Mims, a Texas native, was a multi-sport athlete in high school, which helped aid his path to Baylor. He finished with 186 receptions for 2,925 yards and 28 touchdowns, including a senior year in 2019 that saw him start 13 games for Baylor, recording 66 receptions for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The final game of his collegiate career was the 2020 Sugar Bowl, which pitted the Bears against the rival Georgia Bulldogs. In that game, Mims led the Baylor offense in receiving yards, finishing with five receptions for 75 yards, and scoring the team's lone receiving touchdown. Georgia defeated Baylor with a final score of 26-14.
Mims put on a show at the combine, running sub 4.4 at the 40-yard dash, 38.5 inches vertical. His huge 6-foot 3 frame with 34-inch arms measured out among the best in this entire class.
Overall he put his natural athleticism on display for everyone to see. Yet, despite his impressive showing, given how deep this wide receiver class is and the abundance of talent at other positions, Mims isn't necessarily a lock to be drafted in the first round and could end up falling to the third round.
Why He’s a Fit
It seems that of late, there’s a receiver that slips through the cracks into the second round or later who ends up being way more valuable than many of the first-rounders drafted ahead of them.
In 2014, it was Davante Adams’ coming out of Fresno State; in 2016, Michael Thomas was called too slow after running a 4.57. Even just last year, D.K. Metcalf tumbled all the way to pick 64 because of all the hysteria surrounding his three-cone drill and the Giants' very own fifth-rounder, Darius Slayton, showed signs of being up there with the first-round talents last season.
Mims' value is off the charts, as there is more to him than just his athleticism. What translates to the pros is everything else Mims brings to the table, including his physicality, intelligence, route-running savvy, ball skills. He’s a well-coached and refined physical specimen.
At Baylor, the coaching staff often tried to exploit the most significant advantages Mims had over every defensive back in the Big-12: size, length, and ball skills. Mims' wide catch radius also was a plus in that he was able to bring in just about every ball regardless of where it was placed.
Mims is a complete receiver that can win in multiple ways. He’s a good route runner with a variety of releases and tricks mastered that will help him adjust to the pros. And he has speed, which is something the Giants desperately need to add more of on offense if they're to run a vertical offense.
