23 Days of Draftmas: Baylor WR Denzel Mims

A very Merry Draftmas to you!

We continue our tradition of profiling an NFL Draft prospect every day in April, leading up to the NFL Draft on April 23rd. Every day, you’ll get a prospect profile that includes how they would fit with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Let’s start with a profile from our recently-completed KC Draft Guide, which will be published on Monday. Here’s a Big 12 wide receiver who lit up the Senior Bowl and Combine — and told us what it would be like to be drafted by the Chiefs.

Denzel Mims, wide receiver

Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

6’3” | 207 lbs | Baylor

Daingerfield, TX | 10/10/1997

Grade (round): Second

Draft range: Day two

40-yard time: 4.38

NFL Combine: 38.5” vertical jump, 131” broad, 4.43 20-yd, 6.66 3-cone, 16 bench reps

2019 Stats: 66 rec, 1,020 yds, 12 TD, 15.5 Y/R

Background: Former three-star recruit. Texas high school sprint champion, first-team All-Big 12 in 2019.

Strengths: A springy athlete with incredible ups, Mims can go up and get the ball with the best of them. Size, length, speed — and his catch radius is massive. Mims is a natural catcher of the football; he extends his arms and plucks the ball out of the air effortlessly. The best part of Mims’ game is the way he works the sidelines, often showing off his body control and spatial awareness. He processes more than enough speed to take the top off of a defense and can also track the ball deep, displaying late hands to secure over-the-shoulder catches. Mims is a bendy wide receiver who can twist and contort his body to put himself in a position to make a play on the ball — regardless of where it is. He can go up and get it and adjust to a low pass as well. Mims’ blocking ability showed up on tape and the Senior Bowl. He does an excellent job of breaking himself down, engaging and then driving the defender. For a wide receiver, blocking often comes down to attitude — and on the field, Mims has a bully mentality.

Weaknesses: Mims’ routes are still a work in progress, as is his ability to get off the line of scrimmage. He will need to increase his functional strength, as he can sometimes get knocked off his routes. He also needs to do a better job of completing catches; too often, he can get the ball raked out of his hands. With the ball in his hands, he’s not overly creative in the open field. You would like to see a player with his athletic profile create more big plays on his own.

How he fits with the Chiefs: Mims is an outside receiver who can play opposite Tyreek Hill. He isn’t the dynamic jitterbug that the Chiefs have liked recently, but he is a high flyer who can get open and make plays down the field. If Sammy Watkins is playing elsewhere in 2020, Mims would be a good replacement on the outside.

What would it be like to be a Chief: “Pat Mahomes. That’s all you have to say: Pat Mahomes. That would be unbelievable.”

Player Comp: Chris Godwin

Fit Likelihood: High

KC Draft Guide

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