WR Denzel Mims Most Popular Player Mocked to Green Bay Packers

Many mock drafts have been released at this point, but as of now, wide receiver Denzel Mims is the most popular pick for the Green Bay Packers at No. 30.

Naturally, over the course of the NFL offseason as we build-up to the draft, things are going to change. More film study is going to be done, the NFL Combine takes place, and free agency plays a big role as well. The result of all of this is players moving up and down big boards, with mock drafts also constantly changing.

Early on in this process, according to the NFL Mock Draft Database – which is a site that compiles many of the mock drafts that out there in one place – it was wide receiver Justin Jefferson of LSU who was the most mocked player to the Green Bay Packers at 30th overall. And it was easy to see why.

However, since then many mocks have Jefferson being selected before pick No. 30 and there is now a new player that has been a favorite among draft analysts to send to Green Bay. And that player would be wide receiver Denzel Mims of Baylor.

According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, of the hundreds of mock drafts that they’ve added to their site, Mims is the Packers’ first-round pick in 12.2 percent of them. He is followed closely by Jalen Reagor at 11.3 percent and then Jefferson at 9.6 percent.

Mims may not have been on the radar of many in terms of being a first-round selection just a few months ago, but after a productive college career, along with some fantastic performances at the Senior Bowl and the Combine, many now have him being taken in Round 1.

From 2017 to 2019, Mims had appeared in 37 games for Baylor and totaled 2,901 yards at nearly 16 yards per catch with 28 touchdowns. This includes two 1,000 yard seasons in 2017 and 2019, along with a 12 touchdown season this past year.

Then at the Senior Bowl, many agree that of the wide receivers that were invited, Mims had the most impressive performance. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Mims had 16 snaps over the course of the week in one-on-one drills and he finished with 14 receptions, five touchdowns, no drops, and a win rate of 94 percent. Easily the highest among receivers.

Mims would then continue to increase his draft stock by putting on a show at the Combine. His 4.38 – 40 yard dash at 6’3″ – 207 pounds blew just about everyone away and his overall Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.78 was one of the best in this loaded receiver class.

And for those unfamiliar with RAS, what it does is it takes a player’s measurements and rates them on a 0 to 10 scale in comparison to their position group. Using this formula it’s an easy way to see how players of the same position group stack up against each other athletically. Which as we can see from Mims’ 9.78 rating, he stacks up quite well.

On the field, Mims has primarily lined up out wide but he has taken 81 career snaps in the slot. He’s also been one of the best receivers at making contested catches with some spectacular, highlight-reel plays over his career. But on the flip side, drops have been an issue for him as well.

Below are a few scouting reports on Mims, the first being from Kyle Crabbs’ of The Draft Network:

"“Denzel Mims projects as an X-receiver at the NFL level. With his notable catch radius, physical play and high end body control, Mims projects as a potential starter at the pro level. He brings developing routes and effective play side blocking to the field — which will help him find reps early on in his pro career as he looks to add further refinement to his game. Mims enjoyed a career season in 2019 and appears to have the arrow facing up as he transitions into the pro game.”"

And for a different perspective, here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com has to say about Mims:

"“Mims is a long-striding outside target with excellent height, weight and speed and an insane catch-radius. He’s a touchdown threat anytime he’s near the red zone, with the focus and body control to finesse and finish catches above the rim.He struggles to release and separate from physical press corners, and he doesn’t consistently compete and outwork opponents for positioning on contested catches. If the route work and intensity catch up with his natural athletic ability, he could become a dangerous “Z” receiver in a vertical offense, but the floor might be lower than some teams are comfortable with.”"

Mims is an ascending player and it’s easy to see that he has the physical tools and skillset to give this Green Bay Packers’ passing attack the boost that they desperately need. However, as it’s been pointed out, there’s still some refinement that is needed as well.

While wide receiver remains a position that the Green Bay Packers have to address early on in the draft, given the depth of this year’s class, I don’t think that it is a slam dunk that they select one in Round 1. Depending on how the board falls, they could choose to address other needs such as tackle, interior defensive lineman, or linebacker.

So although it remains to be seen how draft night will actually play out, as it currently stands, many think that Denzel Mims is the answer for the Green Bay Packers at pick No. 30.