2020 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Denzel Mims





  • Denzel Mims, 6-2/206

  • Wide Receiver

  • Baylor


  • Denzel Mims Scouting Report
    By Charlie Campbell

    Strengths:
  • Good size, build
  • Tracks the ball well
  • Gritty, competitive syle
  • Good timed speed
  • Run-after-the-catch skills
  • Nose for the end zone




  • Weaknesses:
  • Does not play up to timed speed
  • Will struggle to separate from NFL defensive backs
  • Has some drops
  • Not great on 50-50 passes


  • Summary: Every year, there are some players who are love-hate in the scouting community and players who get a lot of media hype during the leadup to the draft. Mims could be the leader in that this year, as the media has been pushing him as a first-round pick since January. In speaking to team sources, they are all over the board with Mims, with some seeing him as an early-round pick and thinking he can be an Allen Robinson-type receiver while others have him graded on the last day of the 2020 NFL Draft and did not like his college tape. Mims is a very polarizing player.

    Mims established himself in the Big XII as a sophomore when he had 61 receptions for 1,087 yards and eight touchdowns. He had a dip in production as a junior with 55 catches for 794 yards with eight scores. However in 2019, the Baylor offense made it a point to get the senior the ball more, helping Mims total 66 catches for 1,020 yards with 12 touchdowns. After the season, he was decent at the Senior Bowl and helped himself with a very fast 40 at the combine of 4.38 seconds.

    Mims could be a solid contributor to an NFL passing attack. He has good size and is able to use his build to shield defenders from the football. After the catch, Mims is a good runner and is able to add yardage while showing some strength to break tackles. He tracks the ball well and shows some good body control along the sideline to stay in bounds while reeling in passes with close coverage. He is a gritty and competitive wideout who has a nose for the end zone.

    The evaluators who don”t like Mims say he was not a separation receiver at Baylor, which the tape proves. TCU’s Jeff Gladney, among others, were able to run the route and keep Mims from getting open. Those team evaluators say Mims also has some issues with drops, does not play as fast as his timed speed, and is not great on 50-50 receptions. Some of them had Mims graded on the third day of the 2020 NFL Draft.

    In the 2020 NFL Draft, Mims probably will end up being a second- or third-round pick. I surveyed seven teams, and the consensus returned that Mims would most likely go on Day 2. Perhaps there is a team that values him in the first round, but he shouldn’t fall out of Day 2.



    Player Comparison: Mohamed Sanu. Mims reminds me of Sanu. Sanu (6-2, 210) and Mims are almost identical in size with a gritty style of play. Sanu has had a solid career as a possessional receiver, and Mims could follow suit.






    RELATED LINKS:


    2020 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s


    2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings


    2020 NFL Draft Scouting Reports








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