Getty The Philadelphia Eagles could considering adding Jets WR Denzel Mims.
The Philadelphia Eagles could be an ideal landing spot for an “explosive” wide receiver.
As reported by Brian Costello of The New York Post on July 19, the New York Jets will waive wide receiver Denzel Mims if they’re unable to find a trade partner for the fourth-year receiver.
With Mims finally on the way out of New York after a rocky relationship with the Jets, Heavy Sports’ Matt Lombardo points towards the Eagles as one of the “best” team fits for the speedy playmaker. Lombardo mentions how Mims could push Quez Watkins for the slot receiver role and would be an upgrade over their current backup wideouts.
“Not only would Mims push Quez Watkins for the starting slot receiver role, but he would be a potentially significant upgrade over the likes of Olamide Zaccheaus, Devon Allen, and Tyrie Cleveland,” writes Lombardo. “The Eagles’ depth receivers have combined to catch only 42 passes for 561 yards and 5 touchdowns in their careers.”
Why the Eagles Could Make a Move for Denzel Mims
The Eagles’ top two receiver spots are locked in with A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith leading the way. However, everything after Brown and Smith is up in the air as Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus figure to battle for the No. 3 role in training camp.
Mims won over the Jets leading into the 2020 NFL Draft when he ran the 40-yard-dash in just 4.38 seconds. His 40-yard speed was actually the fifth-fastest among any player at the NFL Combine that year, right behind Watkins’ 4.35 time.
In fact, Mims was so highly regarded entering the 2020 NFL Draft that he was compared to Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf by Matt Miller of Bleacher Report.
“Mims has the size, speed and ability to win down the field that every NFL team wants,” wrote Miller in April of 2020. “He’s an easy mover with legit explosiveness off the line of scrimmage, but concerns about drops and his raw route tree are enough to push him behind the top receivers in this class. Like DK Metcalf last year, Mims has the tools to make an early impact while developing his game as a pro.”
Denzel Mims Has Failed to Emerge as Jets Starter
That led to the Jets selecting Mims with the 59th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, the 25-year-old has failed to emerge as a full-time starter since entering the league.
Despite starting eight of his nine appearances during his rookie season, he produced 23 catches for 357 yards and zero touchdowns. His catch percentage was just 52.3%, which was one of the lowest marks of any receiver on the team.
Since then, it’s been all downhill for Mims. He caught just eight passes for 133 yards during the 2021 season before recording just 11 catches for 186 yards during the 2022 season. Through his first three seasons in the NFL, Mims has yet to record a single touchdown.
Furthermore, after seeing action on 82% of the offensive snaps during his appearances during the 2020 season, he saw action on just 40% of his snaps during the 2021 season and 42% of the snaps during the 2022 season.
The divorce between the Jets and Mims has been two years in the making as the former second-round draft pick previously requested a trade last August. However, New York chose to retain him after he turned in an impressive performance during the team’s preseason finale against the New York Giants, recording seven catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.
With that being said, the Eagles are clearly looking for an upgrade at the slot receiver position. There’s a reason they signed Zaccheaus after a career year with the Atlanta Falcons last season. Furthermore, Watkins’ production declined last season following the acquisition of Brown, posting just 33 catches for 354 yards after recording 43 catches for 647 yards during the 2021 season.
If Philadelphia chooses to make a trade for Mims, they could acquire him for a low draft pick. Mike Fisher of Sports Illustrated notes that Mims could be acquired for a seventh-round draft pick.
Or the Eagles could choose to try to claim Mims off of waivers — assuming teams ahead of them don’t claim him first.
Either way, Mims could be a valuable, risk-free addition for Philadelphia.