If healthy, Denzel Mims has shot to become first Jets player to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Jets receiver Denzel Mims is +3300 at William Hill sportsbook to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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The New York Jets have one of the most questionable groups of wide receivers in the NFL entering the 2020 season, and clearly the highest ceiling of any belongs to second-round rookie Denzel Mims. He should barely leave the field if healthy, has a good chance to emerge as the No. 1 option for Sam Darnold and is +3300 on the William Hill moneyline odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Alas, Mims already is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Recently, the Jets waived talented but injury-prone wideout Quincy Enunwa less than two years after signing him to a four-year, $36 million extension. Enunwa looked like a rising star in 2016 with 58 catches for 857 yards and four touchdowns but missed the entire 2017 season due to bulging discs in his neck and then played just one quarter of the 2019 campaign due to another neck injury. He probably wasn't going to play in 2020 regardless.
In February, the Jets signed receiver Josh Doctson, a 2016 first-round pick by the Washington Football Team. He was a bust with the former Redskins and didn't play at all last year after signing with the Vikings due to injury. Doctson decided to opt out of this season due to coronavirus concerns. He became the third Jets player to opt out, joining former Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley and reserve center Leo Koloamatangi.
This offseason, the Jets lost leading receiver Robby Anderson and Demaryius Thomas to free agency but did sign Breshad Perriman, another former first-round bust – but at least Perriman showed some signs of finally being a good player late last year with Tampa Bay.
Thus, the Jets' top three wideouts are Jamison Crowder, Perriman and Mims, the No. 59 overall pick out of Baylor. The last touted Baylor wideout to enter the league was Corey Coleman as the No. 15 overall pick in 2015 by Cleveland, and Coleman was a bigger bust than Doctson.
The CBS Sports Big Board ranked Mims as the No. 43 overall player in the Class of 2020 and No. 8 wideout – Mims was the 13th off the board, though, in a very deep class. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder had 66 catches for 1,020 yards and 12 scores last year and a terrific NFL Combine. In fact, his Combine numbers compared to Julio Jones, who has become one of the league's top receivers with the Falcons and a likely future Hall of Famer.
However, last week during practice Mims injured his hamstring while running routes in practice. "Just took a weird step and got it stretched out," Coach Adam Gase said. Needless to say, if Mims misses an extended period of time that would severely hamper his OROY chances. Gase had said Mims was looking very impressive before the injury.
No member of the Jets has ever won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Mims' NFL debut in theory will be in Buffalo on Sept. 13 with Gang Green a 6-point underdog.
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