One of the most exciting position groups to watch this year for the New York Jets is the wide receivers. Joe Douglas added some much-needed firepower to the group going into the 2021 NFL season. Except, there is one wideout who has been disappointing during training camp. New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims has struggled and has seen most of his reps come with the second and third-string groups.
Players like Corey Davis and Elijah Moore have been lighting up the headlines during training camp and have been consistent targets for Zach Wilson. Keelan Cole and Jamison Crowder have also been meeting, even sometimes surpassing, expectations. All in all, the Jets wide receiver corps should be one all fans can look forward to seeing perform on Sundays.
Don’t Write Off Denzel Mims From the Jets Just Yet
Rocky Start for Mims
In the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Jets selected Denzel Mims out of Baylor. Unfortunately, the start of his career was a little bumpy. Mims suffered a few minor injuries, but it ended up sidelining him for half of his rookie season. Once Mims was able to get on the field, he racked up 23 receptions for 357 yards. Fans had hope that with better quarterback play and a better offensive system, he could become a solid wide receiver for the Jets.
Looking to Year Two
Coming into the 2021 season, Mims had expectations to be a starting wide receiver even after the additions of Davis, Cole, and Moore. Fans and the Jets front office seemed to have faith that Mims will find his way on the field and help lead the offense. The first Jets preseason game is approaching, and Mims has barely been playing with the first team. Even worse, he is losing first-team reps to players like Braxton Berrios and Vyncint Smith, not players you’d expect to be ahead of Mims on the depth chart. As a former second-round pick, Mims has expectations to be receiving a majority of the snaps with the number one offensive team. Losing these reps to players who most likely will be special teamers is unsettling.
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So, what’s next for Mims? At this point, Joe Douglas and company should ride out this season with Mims. There is still a chance he can develop into the receiver everyone expected him to become. Maybe when he becomes more comfortable in the new offensive system, he will see more time on the field.
The Jets should not try to trade Mims at this point. We still don’t know the type of player he could become in the NFL. Also, the return on the trade probably won’t be anything worthwhile. There is still hope for Mims. He still could become the starting wide receiver everyone was hoping to have. Especially with a new quarterback and better talent around him, Denzel Mims could be setting up to surprise a lot of people in his second season. It is too early to give up on the second-round pick.
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