Marvin Mims

To say it has been a struggle for Denver rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims to get his hands on the football in Denver’s offense would be a Rocky Mountain Range sized understatement. The 2023 2nd Round draft pick, erstwhile of Frisco, Texas and the University of Oklahoma seemed poised to be the Broncos’ ultimate field-stretching tool. Targeted by head coach Sean Payton and picked 63rd overall in a trade UP to get him, Mims appeared to be a key piece in the pass-catching puzzle, next to Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. That appearance was deceiving.

Averaging just 0.7 targets in weeks 7-9, Mims seems to have become an afterthought, out-targeting only backup-to-the-backup TE Chris Manhertz. In fact, Mims has seen his target share decrease from a season-high of 5 in Week 3, alone, to 5 total, since.

Payton, however, has pledged to change that. Addressing the press following the Broncos’ Week 9 BYE, Payton was asked about Mims’ involvement. Payton was quoted, “How do we get Marvin more touches?” (he) said it’s his job as a coach to get him more touches. “We’re going to work our tails off to move that needle to where he’s getting opportunities,” per Denver beat writer Zac Stevens.

Inasmuch as we can separate truth from “coach-speak”, Mims, who has averaged a plush 23.36 yards per catch on his measly 14 total targets in 8 games, is due for a huge second-half and is a target in all formats.

Potentially repeating a theme of losing games due to injury, Jerry Jeudy suffered a leg injury during a pre-season practice session. According to Broncos beat writer, Mike Klis, Jeudy “pulled up” while running and grabbed the back of his leg. He was helped off of the field and had to have teammates assist him onto the cart, according to observers. The Broncos were hosting a joint practice with the L.A. Rams at their facility in Englewood, Colorado.

Broncos coach Sean Payton confirmed to reporters that Jeudy injured his hamstring and advised Jeudy would have an MRI to diagnose the damage. “Hopefully it’s not anything long-term,” said Payton. A grade II or grade III strain could mean Jeudy misses 6-8 weeks, and a tear that requires surgery would jeopardize the entire season.

Jeudy missed 6 games in 2021 with a high ankle sprain and 2 games in 2022 with another ankle injury. Any time missed would mark three seasons in a row that Jeudy was not able to play a full season.

If Jeudy does miss time, Courtland Sutton would become the primary receiving target in Denver. Rookie wider receiver Marvin Mims would also be elevated in proposed target share and would have the first chance to become Jeudy’s positional replacement.

Tim Patrick spent the entire 2022 season on Injured Reserve after suffering a torn ACL in the offseason. The 2017 UDFA was often referred to as the best all-around receiver due to his combination of size, speed, blocking, and route running. Patrick will likely miss the entire season.

With Tim Patrick on IR and K.J. Hamler being waived with a heart condition, rookie 2nd-Rounder Marvin Mims is primed for a starting role in 3WR sets. The first pick of the Sean Payton era was expected to mix in as a situational-deep threat early in his career while serving as the Broncos’ Punt Returner. Now it appears that Marvin Mims may be headed for a Brandin Cooks-type rookie year, a rookie season that saw Cooks finish as the WR22 in points per game.