After choosing to bypass the wide receiver position in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Jets grabbed a slipping Denzel Mims at No. 59 overall. Mims was a standout at Baylor, and after torching the Combine there's reason to believe he could be a star at the next level. But that doesn't mean his profile isn't without some concerns, and anyone who has played Fantasy Football over the past half decade knows going to an Adam Gase team might not be the perfect fit.
What Mims does have going for him is opportunity. The Jets are the thinnest team in the league on pass-catchers — their top three options are slot receiver Jamison Crowder as their expected No. 1, free agent pickup and one-time bust Breshad Perriman as their replacement for the departed Robby Anderson, and a tight end in Chris Herndon who missed time both due to suspension and injury in 2019. Because of that situation, Mims should be expected to play substantially from Day 1, not unlike Terry McLaurin or Marquise Brown in 2019.
Mims broke out early in his Baylor career, posting an impressive sophomore season that might have had him on track to declare early and enter the 2019 NFL Draft. But he took a step back as a junior, and stuck around in Waco for a senior season that looked a lot like his sophomore year. Over the three years, the production wasn't elite, but there was enough there to feel good about his chances given the volume he should see with the Jets. Especially with the kind of athletic profile Mims has — he posted a 4.38 40 time at 6'3", giving him elite speed and size to go along with a solid collegiate track record.
Of course, there's the Gase factor. The former Dolphins head coach took over the Jets this past season, and several of his former players immediately had career years, including DeVante Parker and Ryan Tannehill. For their part, the Jets ranked dead last in offensive yards. Woof.
The jury is still out on Sam Darnold, too, but hopefully this situation gets sorted out. Unfortunately, we're likely headed for a shortened offseason, so it's hard to imagine how the Jets could correct so many issues before 2020. They did invest in a high-end offensive tackle in Mekhi Becton in the first round, and that might help jump start things. And as we look further down the line, whether Gase does surprisingly right the ship in 2020 or is potentially replaced for 2021, there's talent in this offense and Mims will have the opportunity to be a big part of any potential future success.
