The Denver Broncos boast a young receiving corps around incoming first-round rookie quarterback Bo Nix, and are pinning a major portion of the passing game’s hopes on one of the position group’s second-year stars.
Marvin Mims was widely viewed as a sleeper to become an instant contributor before he was chosen by the Broncos in the second-round of the 2023 draft, and could be stepping into a larger role in his second NFL season.
As a rookie, though, Mims caught just 22 passes for 377 yards with one touchdown. But, after a wholesale makeover of the Broncos’ receiving corps, the former Oklahoma standout could become a breakout star to watch across the NFL.
Can Marvin Mims be the Denver Broncos’ Breakout Star?
Mims certainly has the speed to be a difference-maker for Nix and the Broncos’ offense.
After all, Mims was named a Pro Bowler as a return specialist last season and has the opportunity thanks to Jeudy’s departure to carve out a significant niche in the passing game.
Combine Mims’ ability to take the top off a defense with the fact that Broncos quarterbacks posted a strong 105.9 passer rating when targeting him, according to Pro Football Focus, while only being charged with one dropped pass, and the ingredients are there for a second-year breakout.
“Coming into Year 2, knowing what to expect, knowing the routes, knowing what I have to do as a receiver, I feel like it’s going a lot smoother,” Mims told ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. “[It’s like] night and day.”
As a new day dawns, both for Mims in his second season, and for the Broncos at quarterback, there seems to be confidence in the building that Mims can fill the void left behind by Jeudy and then some.
“I’ve said this and I’ll say it again, [the coaches] were as much responsible — I don’t want to say holding [Mims] back — but man, you’re trying to get snaps for [Jeudy] and you’re trying to get snaps for [Sutton] and so I think we’ll see a lot of growth from Year 1 to Year 2,” Payton told ESPN. “[Mims] is tough. … We know he’s a good returner. … We saw transitional speed, we saw the things you need to see at the receiver position.”
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