Nobody in the NFL burns through draft picks like the New York Jets. Joe Douglas was supposed to be the draft master, and already in 2021, the Denzel Mims pick isn’t looking good at all.
Mims is currently running with the third group receivers. Coach Saleh says, “he’s working through things.” What things? What can’t he do, that’s the big question?
Douglas loved this 2nd round pick. He traded down 11 spots and picked him 59th and bragged that he still “got his guy” and got another pick. As I’ve said many times on my podcast “Jets Rehab” with Orlando Macchia, Mims has some inadequacies.
He once ran a 4.38 at an event and not in-game conditions and he’s never run that fast since then. You can watch him on the field and see that the receiver has trouble gaining separation. It was previously blamed on the quarterback by many.
Mims is a 50-50 guy, but you have to be strong enough to make that play, and by all accounts, he’s still not there.
Chase Claypool was taken 49th so the Jets could have selected him. J.K. Dobbins was a running back I liked. He has nine touchdowns already. I know Cam Akers was there, but I liked Dobbins. Claypool also has nine touchdowns. Both players have over 800 yards in their respective use. Mims hasn’t even reached the endzone yet. But he can block!
There are blogs saying teams should trade for him. We can all see the writing on the wall, and the Jets saw it too by signing Corey Davis and Keelan Cole. Don’t forget Jamison Crowder and Elijah Moore, so where does Mims fit in exactly? He doesn’t.
Douglas loves Vyncint Smith too, so he got re-signed for $1 million. He had one reception for 13 yards, but he has speed. I don’t get it but at least rookie quarterback, Zach Wilson will have some targets to throw to. That’s the most important thing.
Another player in danger of being phased out is third-round “edge rusher” Jabari Zuniga. He has three solo tackles and no quarterback hits or sacks in eight games. He limped off the practice field yesterday. There was some internal hype with this pick and it’s fallen flatter than an IHOP pancake.