Denzel Mims requested a trade last season, and the New York Jets finally said goodbye to the disgruntled wide receiver when they dealt him to the Detroit Lions.
Wide receiver Denzel Mims celebrates a first down catch against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. (Image: Getty)
If Mims makes the Lions’ 53-man roster, then the Lions will send the Jets a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jets will also send the Lions a seventh-round pick to complete the deal.
Mims, 25, was a standout wide receiver and multi-sport star in his home state of Texas. He was heavily recruited, but accepted a scholarship to play at Baylor.
Mims became a full-time starter in his second season at Baylor. He caught eight touchdowns as a sophomore, and added eight more scores as a junior. He considered going pro, but returned to Waco for his senior season.
Baylor went 11-2 record during Mims’ senior year. In 13 games, he recorded 12 touchdowns and hauled in 66 passes for 1,020 yards. Mims caught one touchdown in a loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
Mims Never Synced with the Jets
During the NFL Draft Combine, Mims impressed scouts with his speed when he posted a 4-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds.
The Jets selected Mims with a late second round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he joined the team during one of their worst seasons in franchise history. Adam Gase was the head coach of the Jets during a disastrous 2-14 season. The offense was nonexistent with a banged-up Sam Darnold at quarterback. The team was in disarray under Gase, who was out of his depth, and would get fired at the end of the season.
Mims appeared in nine games as a rookie. He caught 23 passes for 357 yards, but failed to reach the end zone.
Robert Saleh took over as head coach in 2021, and the Jets started a new quarterback with rookie Zach Wilson. Mims and Wilson never got on the same page. He missed multiple games due to food poisoning and tallied just eight catches for 133 yards and no touchdowns in his second season.
Heading into his third season, Mims saw a diminished role in the offense after the Jets drafted wide receiver Garret Wilson. Mims was bumped to the second string in the preseason, and he requested a trade. The Jets kept him on the roster and did not grant him a trade. Mims caught 11 passes for 186 yards and zero touchdowns last season.
During three disappointing seasons with the Jets, Mims suited up for 30 games. He was targeted 92 times but hauled in only 42 receptions for 676 yards and zero touchdowns.
Jets Add Aaron Rodgers, Mims Buried on Depth Chart
The Jets acquired future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers in late April. The team also hired Nathaniel Hackett as their new offensive coordinator, who was the signal caller for the Packers during Rodgers’ back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021.
The Jets signed two wide receivers — Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb — who were both former teammates of Rodgers in Green Bay. With the addition of Rodgers’ buddies, Mims slipped further down on the depth chart.
Garrett Wilson won the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year during a sensational season, and he’s currently at the top of the depth chart as WR #1. The Jets listed Lazard at WR #2. They recently signed speedster Mecole Hardman, who is currently WR #3. The Jets also have veteran Corey Davis on the roster.
Mims is not a special teams player, and that lack of versatility also sealed his fate. The Jets excused Mims from training camp, so it was only a matter of time before the Jets cut him or dealt the unhappy wideout in a trade.
Since March, the Jets traded two fairly-young wide receivers. The Jets dealt Moore to the Cleveland Browns for a second-round pick in this year’s draft. Moore caught five touchdowns as a rookie in 2021, but added just one touchdown in 2022 due to the ascension of Wilson.
Futures Bettors Backing Rodgers and the Jets
The New York Jets are +1800 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII and saw a huge bump in their futures after adding Rodgers. The Jets are currently seventh on the NFL futures board.
It’s not surprising to see the defending Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, as the betting favorite to win another AFC Championship. The Chiefs are +330 odds to win the conference title and they’re ahead of the Buffalo Bills (+500), Cincinnati Bengals (+600), Jets (+1100), Miami Dolphins (+1100, and Baltimore Ravens (+1100).
The Bills are the consensus favorite at +120 odds to win the AFC East for a fourth-straight season. The Jets are second on the board at +270 odds, followed by the Dolphins (+300) and New England Patriots (+800). The Jets last claimed a division title during the 2002 season.
According to a “make the playoffs” prop bet by DraftKings, the Jets are -130 odds to make the playoffs. They are +110 odds to miss the postseason.
The Jets went 7-10 last season, and have a win total of 9.5 over/under this upcoming season.
Rodgers is +1600 odds to win the MVP this season and he’s the eighth highest player – all of them quarterbacks – on the NFL awards board at DraftKings.
Saleh is +1600 odds to win the NFL Coach of the Year, and he’s the sixth-highest coach on the board.
Running back Breece Hall tore his ACL last October. He was having a sensational rookie season, which was cut short with the knee injury. Hall is +2500 odds to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
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