As Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson escaped the pocket and moved to his right during a training camp practice during the second week of August, he spotted rookie Marvin Mims Jr. down the right side of the field.
Wilson wanted Mims to go deeper, wanted him to utilize the breakaway speed that was enticing enough for the Broncos to trade into the second round of the NFL Draft in April and select the wide receiver out of Oklahoma. Wilson, under pressure from Randy Gregory, pointed up the field. Mims got the message and made his break, creating enough separation to give Wilson a window on the run. Mims leaped as the ball floated down, using every bit of his 5-foot-11 frame to make the grab and kick-start a successful two-minute drill.
It was a snapshot of the ways in which Wilson has helped the rookie get up to speed after he missed some of the offseason program and the first week of training camp while recovering from a hamstring injury.
“His communication throughout different routes, he shows you what he likes to see,” Mims said this week as he prepared for his NFL debut in Denver’s Week 1 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. “He shows you how he wants to see you do this thing versus this certain look. It sounds complicated, but I get to go through it and talk with him, a guy who has played many years in the NFL, and that has helped a lot.”
Mims has proved to be a quick study, which has been a key development as the Broncos head into the season bereft of wide receivers. Tim Patrick tore his Achilles tendon on the fifth day of camp and will miss the season. KJ Hamler, a similar speedy wide receiver taken by the Broncos in the second round in 2020, was waived with a non-football illness designation on the same day. Then, Aug. 24, Jerry Jeudy suffered a hamstring injury that put his availability for the start of the season in doubt. Jeudy has practiced on a limited basis this week, but it’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to go for Sunday’s game, which arrives just 17 days after the injury.
The bottom line is Mims, who is also Denver’s top punt returner on the depth chart, is one of just three fully healthy wide receivers on the active roster. The math alone suggests he’ll be actively involved in Denver’s offense from the beginning of the season.
Read the full story on Mims' emergence.
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