Denzel Mims: 2020 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Position: WR
School: Baylor
Class: Senior
Date of Birth: October 10, 1997
Height: 6-3 Weight: 207lbs
Athletic Testing
40-Time: 4.38
Speed Score: 115.6 (96th-percentile)
Burst Score: 131.0 (90th-percentile)
Agility Score: 11.09 (67th-percentile)
Catch Radius: 10.34 (96th-percentile)
SPARQ-x: 113.7 (77th-percentile)
Bio
Denzel Mims was a four-sport athlete at Daingerfield High School in Texas where he was on the track team and played baseball, basketball, and of course football. He received honorable mention All-State honors in football, won District MVP in basketball, and won the Class 3A 200-meter state title as a junior. On the football field, Mims actually played quarterback before injuring his arm in baseball. He then went on to play wideout, running back, cornerback, and safety. (Waco Tribune-Herald) Mims only received two offers from Power-5 schools (Baylor and Texas Tech) as a three-star recruit. He only caught four passes as a freshman at Baylor while buried on the depth chart behind NFL prospects KD Cannon and Ish Zamora.
See Where Denzel Mims Lands In Our 2020 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
Mims burst onto the scene in his sophomore season, starting 11-of-12 games and hauling-in 61 passes for 1,087 yards (17.8 YPR) and eight touchdowns. His best performance came against Oklahoma when he caught 11 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. He was named second-team all-conference. Mims’ production slipped in 2018, partly because of his struggles with drops. He dropped 11 of 66 catchable balls, per PFF. He finished the year with 55 receptions for 794 yards (14.4 YPR) and eight touchdowns in 12 games (10 starts). After deciding to stay in school for his senior season, Mims had a bounce-back 2019 campaign. He received first-team all-conference honors after catching 66 passes for 1,020 yards (15.5 YPR) and 12 touchdowns in 14 starts. He was 14th in the country in dominator rating.
Mims has been one of the fastest risers up draft boards after impressing scouts at the Senior Bowl and excelling in every drill at the Combine. After surprising with a 4.38 40-time, Mims recorded a 38.5-inch vertical leap, a 6.66-second three-cone, and a 131-inch broad jump.
College Stats
Denzel Mims College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference.com
Positives
+Elite Speed (4.38); 115.6 (96th-percentile) Speed Score
+131.0 (90th-percentile) Burst Score
+11.09 (67th-percentile) Agility Score
+10.34 (96th-percentile) Catch Radius
+113.7 (77th-percentile) SPARQ-x
+Caught 50-percent of Baylor’s passing touchdowns in 2019
+Early-career production; 19.9 (67th-percentile, Sophomore season) Breakout Age
+2.36 yards per route
+48.8-percent contested catch rate
+15.5 (61st-percentile) YPR
+42.3-percent (86th-percentile) Dominator
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— the podfather™️ (@Fantasy_Mansion) March 3, 2020
Negatives
-Struggles vs physical press corners
-One career rush attempt; One career kick/punt return
-Ran limited route tree at Baylor
-18 drops on 139 catchable passes (12.9-percent) over past two seasons
-2.8 YAC per reception
-Just four receptions from the slot
Highlight Reel
Best Comparable Player (PlayerProfiler): Chris Godwin
NFL Draft Projection: Round 1-2
Bottom Line:
Mims is still a bit raw, despite playing four seasons at Baylor, but he has the upside to become a dangerous Z-receiver at the next level. Mims checks a ton of the boxes that we look for in a wide receiver prospect. He possesses elite athleticism and a production profile to back it up. While his step backwards in his junior season and the decision to stay in school are a bit concerning, Mims’ age-19 breakout and dominant sophomore season are big factors in his favor. After his spectacular outing at the NFL Combine, Mims has been projected as a late first-round pick in several NFL Mock drafts. If he is an NFL first-rounder he will undoubtedly be a top-12 pick in dynasty rookie drafts.
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, NFL.com, PFF
