The Overlooked Star of the 2020 NFL Draft

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Needless to say, there has been a ton of hype surrounding the 2020 NFL Draft. This year’s draft class has an unprecedented amount of talent and features one of the best group of receivers we’ve seen in years. You’ve probably heard of some of the top receivers in this class like Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, and Henry Ruggs but there’s one receiver you might not know but has the potential to be a star at the next level. His name is Denzel Mims.

Denzel Mims played at Baylor University and although he went under the radar this season, he quickly rose up draft boards during the spring. Mims was invited to the Senior Bowl and to say he did well would be an understatement. He DOMINATED one-on-one drills and showed off his physicality and route-running ability. Mims captured everyone’s attention during senior bowl week and was seen as one of the sleepers of this year’s draft. However, this was just the beginning for Mims whose draft stock was about to skyrocket at the combine.

Denzel Mims had one last chance to improve his draft stock to first-round status and he ran with it. The 6’3 wide out ran an impressive 4.38 forty yard dash and had a 38.5 inch vertical and a 10.9-foot broad jump, basically guaranteeing himself a first-round selection.

Those measurables are incredibly impressive, but what really makes Denzel Mims special is his completeness as a receiver. He is a rare combination of elite athleticism and good technique

Mims is a huge receiver standing at 6’3 and weighing 207b lbs. He made good use of his size this season at Baylor by consistently making contested catches and using his huge catch radius to make life easier for his quarterback. If the ball went his way, chances were he was going to catch it. Even close to the boundaries where the catch probability dramatically decreases, Mims’ did a great job of getting his hands on the ball and keeping his feet in bounds even with defensive backs crowded around him.

He isn’t just a big receiver who can make contested catches though, because he is a really good route runner. Of course, he isn’t as good of a route runner as Jerry Jeudy or Van Jefferson, but for his size and play style, it doesn’t get much better than this. Here’s a play against Texas that shows off his footwork.

Denzel Mims uses a “dead leg” release which allows him to either push off his outside foot and go inside if a slant is called or run a 9 route depending on how the cornerback is shading. On this play, the corner shades inside to stop the slant so Mims is able to run a 9 route and makes a beautiful high point catch for the touchdown.

Mims’ biggest asset is his long arms and raw strength and he loves to hit defensive backs with a subtle push off to get some separation at the end of his routes. Technically this is pass interference and defensive backs are going to cry to the refs a lot when guarding Mims, but refs didn’t call it in college and they’re probably not going to call it in the NFL.

I absolutely love Denzel Mims and believe he is truly special. The top receivers in the NFL usually either have great technique or amazing athleticism and the rare talents like Julio Jones, Odell Beckham Jr., and Tyreek Hill have a combination of both. Mims is one of those guys that is a combination of both. I don't think he's a top three receiver in this super deep class, but with a few years in the right offense, he could be a star. Somebody is getting a guy with a ton of potential in April, let's just hope it's not Kansas City because if that happens, we're all in a load of trouble.