The usage of 2020 second-round pick Denzel Mims is a raging topic in the Jets fanbase.
Many thought Mims would play a plethora of snaps against the Panthers because Jamison Crowder (Covid-19) and Keelan Cole (knee) were ruled out.
But that was far from the case. Mims had three total offensive snaps out of 65. In those minimal snaps, he caught a 40-yard bomb from Zach Wilson, which put the offense in scoring range for the Jets’ second touchdown of the game.
So the question is: Why didn’t Mims play more?
Corey Davis led Jets receivers with 58 snaps. Ahead of Mims on the depth chart were Elijah Moore (56), Braxton Berrios (37) and even Jeff Smith (nine).
Davis balled with five catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Berrios had a solid outing with five catches for 51 yards. Moore finished with one catch for negative three yards on a jet sweep and couldn’t reel in a deep pass from Wilson in the first quarter.
Mims seems to produce big plays when he’s in the game and was the third leading receiver off one play.
Saleh’s reasoning centered around Mims’ inability to play multiple spots since he’s not one of the top three receivers.
“He’s got to know, when you’re not one of the main guys, you got to know all three spots and you’ve got to know it at a high level so you can step in and take advantage of all those opportunities,” Saleh said. “So, if the Z, the F or the X needs a break, you’re the first one that goes in because you know all three spots, you can execute at a high level and you can roll,” he said, referring to the three receiver positions.
“But yesterday was more of a timing thing where offense really didn’t get rolling until that fourth quarter, which is where you started seeing him show up on the football field,” he said. We had those extended drives, I think we had a 10-play, 93-yard drive where the receivers needed a break, and it gave them that opportunity to step in and get action.”
Last Sunday, Mims should have received more snaps. There’s no argument there. But going forward, it’s not that simple.
The former Baylor standout is, at best, is the fourth best receiver over Cole. Davis, Moore and Crowder are the three main receivers and have the trust of the coaching staff.
So, when you’re the fourth or fifth receiver, reps are hard to come by.
Who should the Jets take off the field for Mims? Moore, who was dominant in training camp?
Davis, the Jets’ best receiver?
What about Crowder, the team’s best offensive player in the past two seasons?
Mims has more talent than Cole, but the former Jaguar has proven more in his career.
Yes, Mims produced the longest play in Week 1. But it was more because of a blown coverage caused by miscommunication between Panthers corner Donte Jackson and safety Jeremy Chinn.
Mims was wide open and capitalized off of it, and he deserves credit for that. Wilson deserves more credit for that play, though. The pocket collapsed and the No. 2 overall pick maneuvered through the traffic and fired a bullet while being drilled by Marquis Haynes to hit Mims down the sideline.
Overall, Mims is clearly down the depth chart, which started with his training camp performance. While there were flashes of his potential, they didn’t occur often.
Moore, Crowder and Davis outplayed him during camp for the first three weeks. Cole was slightly better too, but not substantially.
But that led to Mims running with the second and third-team offense, which Saleh claimed was just part of the rotation.
“The only ones who run with the ones unconditionally, you got Corey Davis, and I want to say Keelan and Jamison. Otherwise, everyone is rotating in, everyone is getting their reps,” Saleh said in early August.
But that was nonsense. Mims rarely ran with the starters, unlike Moore, Berrios and Cole who received varying amounts of reps with the first team.
However, Mims had a strong performance in the first preseason game against the Giants with three catches for 51 yards. But that was against backups. And he still wasn’t running with the starters after the first preseason game.
Then he suffered a hip injury during joint practice with the Packers and missed the rest of preseason. He was cleared to practice as the Jets prepared for Week 1, but was never high on the depth chart. In that context, his three snaps weren’t surprising. And despite him flashing in limited playing time, it doesn’t sound like Saleh and the coaching staff are itching to move him up the depth chart.