By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
For the second consecutive NFL draft, Baylor saw a wide receiver find a professional home on the second day.
Daingerfield, Texas product Denzel Mims, the only player in former head coach Matt Rhule’s tenure to have 1,000-yard receiving seasons, went in the second round to the New York Jets Friday. Mims was the 59th overall selection.
He follows Jalen Hurd who was taken by NFC Champion San Francisco in the third round in 2019.
Named a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the league coaches, Mims finished his senior season with 1,020 yards. While there were some consistency concerns throughout his career, he started making a name for himself in the workouts leading up to the Senior Bowl in mid-January in Mobile, Al.
He then parlayed that to excellent work in the NFL combine in February in Indianapolis. His two 40-yard dash times revealed there was a lot more. His personal best was 4.38.
Mims’ vertical jump was nearly three feet (38.5 inches) while his broad jump was 131 inches. He could not work out for teams in person like every other player in the draft. However, did enough between those events as well as working out in virtual form to keep his status.
Some mock drafts had him going in the latter half of the opening round. But as the draft approached, Mims seemed destined for the second day.
His 2,925 career receiving yards rank sixth in Baylor history. Mims had 1,087 yards in 2017 and finished his career with 11 100-yard receiving games.
Former Baylor head coach Art Briles and his staff found him as a somewhat known prospect at a camp in Marshal in early June 2005. On Sunday when Baylor was about to host a camp on its campus, the staff offered Mims.
Mims remained loyal to signing with Baylor in 2016 even after Briles was fired on Memorial Day Weekend. While seven other players were released from their letters of intent, Mims arrived in Waco around the same time interim coach Jim Grobe joined the program.
Baylor has sent 17 receivers to the NFL starting with Ricky Thompson in 1976 who was drafted by the Baltimore Colts.
BAYLOR WIDE RECEIVERS IN THE DRAFT
1976, Ricky Thompson – 8th Rd (228th) Baltimore
1981, Robert Holt – 6th Rd (161st), Buffalo
1981, Mike Fisher – 8th (198th), St. Louis
1984, Gerald McNeil – 2nd Rd (44th), Cleveland
1984, Bruce Davis, 2nd Rd (50th), Cleveland
1989, John Simpson, 10th Rd (277th), Chicago
1992, Lee Miles, 11th Rd (294th), Miami
1993, Melvin Bonner, 6th Rd (154th), Denver
1995, David Mims, (expansion), Carolina
2010, David Gettis, 6th Rd (198th), Carolina
2012, Kendall Wright, 1st (20th) Tennessee
2012, Josh Gordon, 2nd Rd (supplemental), Browns
2013, Terrance Williams, 3rd Rd (74th), Dallas
2014, Tevin Reese, 7th Rd (240th), San Diego
2017, Corey Coleman – 1st Rd (15th overall), Cleveland
2019, Jalen Hurd – 3rd RD (67th overall), San Francisco
2020, Denzel Mims – 2nd Rd (59th overall), New York Jets
Publisher
For the second consecutive NFL draft, Baylor saw a wide receiver find a professional home on the second day.
Daingerfield, Texas product Denzel Mims, the only player in former head coach Matt Rhule’s tenure to have 1,000-yard receiving seasons, went in the second round to the New York Jets Friday. Mims was the 59th overall selection.
He follows Jalen Hurd who was taken by NFC Champion San Francisco in the third round in 2019.
Named a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the league coaches, Mims finished his senior season with 1,020 yards. While there were some consistency concerns throughout his career, he started making a name for himself in the workouts leading up to the Senior Bowl in mid-January in Mobile, Al.
He then parlayed that to excellent work in the NFL combine in February in Indianapolis. His two 40-yard dash times revealed there was a lot more. His personal best was 4.38.
Mims’ vertical jump was nearly three feet (38.5 inches) while his broad jump was 131 inches. He could not work out for teams in person like every other player in the draft. However, did enough between those events as well as working out in virtual form to keep his status.
Some mock drafts had him going in the latter half of the opening round. But as the draft approached, Mims seemed destined for the second day.
His 2,925 career receiving yards rank sixth in Baylor history. Mims had 1,087 yards in 2017 and finished his career with 11 100-yard receiving games.
Former Baylor head coach Art Briles and his staff found him as a somewhat known prospect at a camp in Marshal in early June 2005. On Sunday when Baylor was about to host a camp on its campus, the staff offered Mims.
Mims remained loyal to signing with Baylor in 2016 even after Briles was fired on Memorial Day Weekend. While seven other players were released from their letters of intent, Mims arrived in Waco around the same time interim coach Jim Grobe joined the program.
Baylor has sent 17 receivers to the NFL starting with Ricky Thompson in 1976 who was drafted by the Baltimore Colts.
BAYLOR WIDE RECEIVERS IN THE DRAFT
1976, Ricky Thompson – 8th Rd (228th) Baltimore
1981, Robert Holt – 6th Rd (161st), Buffalo
1981, Mike Fisher – 8th (198th), St. Louis
1984, Gerald McNeil – 2nd Rd (44th), Cleveland
1984, Bruce Davis, 2nd Rd (50th), Cleveland
1989, John Simpson, 10th Rd (277th), Chicago
1992, Lee Miles, 11th Rd (294th), Miami
1993, Melvin Bonner, 6th Rd (154th), Denver
1995, David Mims, (expansion), Carolina
2010, David Gettis, 6th Rd (198th), Carolina
2012, Kendall Wright, 1st (20th) Tennessee
2012, Josh Gordon, 2nd Rd (supplemental), Browns
2013, Terrance Williams, 3rd Rd (74th), Dallas
2014, Tevin Reese, 7th Rd (240th), San Diego
2017, Corey Coleman – 1st Rd (15th overall), Cleveland
2019, Jalen Hurd – 3rd RD (67th overall), San Francisco
2020, Denzel Mims – 2nd Rd (59th overall), New York Jets
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