Baylor Wideout Denzel Mims Could Lift The Green Bay Packers To New Heights

Note: The NFL Draft begins April 23 and the Green Bay Packers have the 30^th pick in the first round. Between now and then, I’ll examine 30 players the Packers could select with that pick.

Today, we look at Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims.

The following players have also been spotlighted.

• LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson

• TCU defensive lineman Ross Blacklock

• USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson

• Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray

• Utah State quarterback Jordan Love

• Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins

• Oklahoma defensive lineman Neville Gallimore

• Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor

• Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell

• Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr.

• LSU linebacker Patrick Queen

• Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones

• Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs

DENZEL MIMS, WR, BAYLOR

THE SKINNY

Mims asked the Baylor coaches to try him at cornerback early in his career, when he couldn’t crack the lineup at wide receiver. The Bears left him at wideout, and Mims blossomed into one of the top receivers in the country.

Mims posted 1,000-yard seasons during both his sophomore and senior years. In 2019, Mims had 66 catches for 1,020 yards (15.5 average) and 12 touchdowns.

Mims followed his big senior season with sensational performances at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. Mims dominated the competition at the Senior Bowl, then posted terrific numbers in the 40-yard dash (4.38) and the vertical jump (38.5”) at the NFL Combine. He also has long arms and big hands.

With his big postseason, Mims has jumped up several draft boards and could now be a late first-round draft pick.

MEASURABLES

Height: 6-3

Weight: 207

Bench press: 16

40-yard dash: 4.38

Vertical jump: 38.5”

Broad jump: 101”

Arms: 33 7/8”

Hands: 9 3/8”

SCOUTING REPORT

Mims has the combination of size and speed that NFL teams dream of. His catch radius is also off the charts.

Mims has been dominant on 50-50 balls and has surprising run-after-the-catch ability for a player that’s so long. Mims has outstanding long speed and loves to block, often stalking players on the second and third levels.

Mims is too easily misdirected by press coverage, though, and his route tree needs a lot of work. Mims isn’t overly quick or agile and he must improve his upper-body strength.

Overall, though, rare athleticism will give Mims a chance to become a No. 1 wideout down the road.

PACKERS’ PREDICAMENT

Can Green Bay finally find help for Davante Adams? That’s job one in this draft for general manager Brian Gutekunst.

Adams, a three-time Pro Bowler, led the Packers with 111 catches in 2018. That same year, Marquez Valdes-Scantling ranked second among wideouts with 38 receptions.

In 2019, Adams again led the Packers with 83 receptions, while Allen Lazard was second among receivers with 35 catches.

After consecutive seasons in which Adams has had more than twice as many catches as Green Bay’s No. 2 receiver, a wingman is desperately needed. And considering this is widely considered one of the best receiver drafts in recent memory, look for the Packers to take a wideout early and as many as three overall.

“There’s some pretty big dudes in this receiver class,” Gutekunst said. “But it looks like it’s a pretty deep group. I think this is a little bit deeper class, maybe, than it has been in the past. So I think if you’re looking for something specific, all types are out there.”

THEY SAID IT

Mims said: “I’m very motivated. I want to be one of the best and I obviously want to stand out. It’s a deep receiver class, but I feel like I’m in the top of this receiver class. I have no doubt about it.”

Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus on how Mims performed at the Senior Bowl: “In a loaded receiver group, Mims was quite clearly the most explosive. Showing he could maintain that explosiveness and separation on the full route tree was massive for him.”

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper on Mims: “Mims, with the kind of year he had, you think about all-star scenarios and going down and doing what he did there, you think about a 4.38 [40-yard dash], almost a [38.5-inch] vertical, the size – 6-3, almost 210 pounds. What you want to do is nail the process. Have the year, all-star, combine, and if it all comes together positively, you’re going to soar up the board. And he did.”