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NFL Draft Sleeper Prospect Preview: Denzel Mims

Updated: Apr 21, 2020

The 2020 NFL Draft is fast approaching, and once again is flooded with talent. Many of the biggest names in college football will be drafted this week, including Joe Burrow, Chase Young, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jeff Okudah and more. These guys are all going to go top 10 in the draft, but there are a ton of lesser-known players that will have a huge impact for teams trying to fill gaps in the later rounds.


There are a number of good wide receivers in this years’ draft, including Baylor’s Denzel Mims. I would rank him as the fifth-best WR, behind draft notables Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III from Alabama, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and LSU’s Justin Jefferson. Mims is a beast, and has a great combination of size, strength and speed, listed at 6’3, 215 pounds. He starred in football, basketball and track in high school, and played WR and safety at a high level. At Baylor, he had two 1,000+ yard receiving seasons, and his senior year had 12 TDs. Mims has long arms and tremendous athletic ability, so he can catch inaccurate passes and will climb the ladder to snatch high passes. He comes away with most 50/50 balls so he is always a threat in the red zone. He is also a good blocker in the run game.


There are some cons to his game, including running some lazy routes occasionally. He has also dropped some catchable balls in college where he has taken his eye off the ball too quickly focusing on what he will do after the catch instead of catching it first and then running. He gives great effort, but can slip up on the mental side of the game from time to time. I expect him to clean it up and that will not be much of an issue moving forward.


There is a possibility Mims could be drafted in the first round, but I think early in the second round is more likely. Judy, Ruggs III, Lamb and Jefferson will all be drafted ahead of Mims, so I think it will be hard for him to be taken in the first round. I predict Denzel Mims will be drafted early in the second round by the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have two early picks in the second round, and are in need of WR help so I think they could take him in one of those spots. With new aging QB Philip Rivers being wildly inaccurate last season, this is a great opportunity for Mims to show everyone what he’s got. With T.Y. Hilton as the number one receiver, Mims can slot right behind him as the number two and Zach Pascal as the number three. There is some depth in Indiana so he will not have a ton of pressure in a small market for his first season. Teams to watch out for who can possibly select him with picks in the early to mid-second round include Denver, both New York teams and Cincinnati, with other teams like Green Bay possibly going to trade up to pick him.


I predict Denzel Mims will have around 60 catches, 850 yards and 8 TDs in his first season in the NFL. Depending on the situation and where he is drafted, those numbers could be significantly better or worse. He will be a good flex option in most fantasy leagues, but has the ability to be a solid WR2!


Follow me on Twitter @ jasonwallace01!


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