Green Bay Packers First Round Draft Prospects: Denzel Mims
In a series previewing the first round prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers, let’s take a peep at wide receiver Denzel Mims.
In many ways, Denzel Mims fits the prototype Green Bay Packers‘ general manager Brian Gutekunst has been looking for in his recent wide receiver additions. After collecting a hoard of tall receivers, the 6-foot-3 Mims would be another notch in the belt.
Mims is not only tall, but has an above-average vertical leap, allowing him to high-point the ball on many throws. This is a nice advantage that allowed him to snag eight touchdown receptions in his sophomore and junior seasons before splurging with 12 last year at Baylor. Mims and Adams in the red zone would give the Packers multiple insta-score threats anytime they get inside the 20. He also topped 1,000 receiving yards last year for the second time in his collegiate career.
The best part of Mims game is that he catches anything and everything around him. He can make the most inaccurate quarterbacks look good (not that that’s an issue for the Packers).
Despite his size, he struggled to get off the line of scrimmage when pressed by physical cornerbacks. He’s got to build strength in order to improve in this area, but that’s the case for a lot of rookies.
He also lost an alarming number of contested catches even with his size advantage. For one reason or another, he wasn’t able to come down with the ball when going up against smaller corners.
Fortunately, Davante Adams–one of the best route-runners in the NFL–can help him with his last flaw. Mim often gets sloppy and careless on his routes, forgetting to sell the decoy. This allows corners to read his true intentions and jump all over his intended route.
Next. Packers Draft Prospect: Jalen Reagor's Strength and Weaknesses. dark
Mims is a classic high-risk, high-reward pick. He has all the tools to become a very good receiver at the next level, but his floor is also lower than a lot of teams might be comfortable with–especially in the first round. If Green Bay and its front office feel good about Mims, don’t be surprised to see his name called for the green and gold.