If Mims doesn't develop quickly, it will have a negative effect on Darnold, who lost his No. 1 target (Robby Anderson) in free agency. Surprisingly, Douglas, who passed on every wide receiver to draft Becton, didn't take another wideout after Mims in the second round. That means it's Denzel-or-bust in what many experts called the most talented receiver draft in history.
Mims is a size-speed phenom who made a lot of money with his Senior Bowl and scouting-combine performances, but he fell to the bottom of the second round, the 13th wide receiver off the board. Douglas passed on him with the 48th pick, trading down 11 spots and grabbing him at 59. A genius move? Perhaps. Or maybe he got too cute, as he missed out on Chase Claypool and Van Jefferson -- two highly touted receivers. Time will tell.
At 6-foot-3, Mims blazed the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at the scouting combine, and his three-cone time (6.66 seconds) was the best among wide receivers. The Jets love his catch radius and say he plays above the rim. So, how could a receiver with Julio Jones-like measurables fall to 59th? He dropped 20 passes over his final three seasons, including 11 in 2018 (an injured hand might have been a factor). He also played in an unsophisticated passing scheme at Baylor, where the staff tried to exploit his deep speed. In 2019, he ran the "go" route more than any other, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
As one opposing scout wondered, when was the last time a Baylor receiver hit it big in the NFL? The answer is never.
The ideal situation would be to bring Mims along slowly and let him learn from a veteran, but the Jets might not have that luxury. They're still thin at the position, with recently signed Breshad Perriman (an older version of Mims) their only starting-caliber outside receiver. They could really use Quincy Enunwa, a physical possession receiver, but his future is murky because of a neck injury.
Unless they add a veteran, the Jets will need Mims to play immediately -- and that's a big ask of a rookie, considering there won't be an offseason because of the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
"We'll get him caught up as fast as we can when we're able to do the virtual stuff," Jets coach Adam Gase said. "By the time he steps on the field, hopefully he has a good grasp [of the offense]. I feel like we'll have figured out how far he goes mentally, and we'll take advantage of what he knows and allow him to do the things he does really well as much as possible."
If the Jets are right about Mims, they will have given Darnold a true WR1. The new teammates already have become texting buddies. If they're wrong about Mims, it'll be Stephen Hill all over again.