The COVID-19 epidemic has forced a shift in how NFL teams are preparing for the 2020 season. With pro days/personal workouts being canceled and team facilities being temporarily shut down, clubs are using the internet and phone interviews to conduct their business. The Dallas Cowboys are no different, as recently they held a meeting via FaceTime with Texas native and Baylor star receiver Denzel Mims.
https://twitter.com/JustinM_NFL/status/1246173031468273667?s=19
The promising young talent was seen as a mid-third-round pick before the NFL Combine, however, he would turn heads with an impressive performance. Mims ran 4.38 in the 40-yard dash which was tied for the fifth-best time overall and third for receivers, also, he recorded a 38.5-inch vertical. This has resulted in his stock rising to a possible late first-round or early second-round pick.
Denzel Mims lead the country in contested catches last season – 20.pic.twitter.com/10xIC3FWCv
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 11, 2020
Baylor WR Denzel Mims: 39 contested catches since 2017
1st among all WRs pic.twitter.com/1e1JGgifVy
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 3, 2020
It's not really surprising the Cowboys would be intrigued by the Dangerfield, Texas product. After only catching four passes for 24 yards as a freshman in 2016, Mims made a name for him himself a year later. He would register 61 receptions for 1,087 yards and eight touchdowns. In addition to his big season, the Big 12 coaches voted him second-team All-Conference for 2017. His production dropped in 2018 to 55 receptions for 794 yards, however, he did lead the team with eight touchdown catches. In 2019, Mims had his best collegiate season as he totaled 66 receptions for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns, garnering him a first-team All-Big 12 nod.
The Cowboys recently locked up Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper for the foreseeable future with a five-year, 100 million dollar deal. Rising star Michael Gallup is coming off of a 1,000-yard campaign in just his second season in the league. This has provided Quarterback Dak Prescott with one of the best duos at receiver in the sport, but the departure of veteran Randall Cobb has left a hole on the roster.
Mims could provide excellent depth at the receiver position and give the Cowboys a true deep threat to stretch the field and open up more one-on-one opportunities for Cooper and Gallup.
Watch “Denzel Mims || 2019-20 Season Highlights || Full Season” on YouTube
Scouting report according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein
“Mims is a long-striding outside target with excellent height, weight and speed, and an insane catch-radius. He's a touchdown threat anytime he's near the red zone, with the focus and body control to finesse and finish catches above the rim. He struggles to release and separate from physical press corners, and he doesn't consistently compete and outwork opponents for positioning on contested catches. If the route work and intensity catch up with his natural athletic ability, he could become a dangerous “Z” receiver in a vertical offense, but the floor might be lower than some teams are comfortable with.”
More than likely, the Cowboys will pick a defensive player in the first round, primarily in the secondary. There's a good chance Mims will be gone before the Cowboys second-round pick, but if he isn't, he has to be considered when you factor in his dynamic playmaking ability.
