I don’t know if there was a more entertaining football team than the Denver Broncos last year, as long as you aren’t counting the football aspects of that team. If you’re a fan of train wrecks, the Broncos were must-see TV. The Broncos were such an unmitigated disaster in 2022, they fired Nathanial Hackett after just one season. This puts Hackett in rarified air, with NFL football greats Mike Mularkey, Jim Tomsula, and Urban Meyer. Luckily for the Broncos, they landed Sean Payton who is one of the best coaches in football. Denver is one of the more fascinating teams going into 2023 because they seemingly have the talent to be successful, but last year was so bad that it could go either way. Sean Payton’s first draft class could have a major impact on which direction this Denver team goes.
FULL DENVER DRAFT RESULTS
| Rd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | College |
| 2 | 32 | Marvin Mims Jr. | WR | Oklahoma |
| 3 | 4 | Drew Sanders | LB | Arkansas |
| 3 | 20 | Riley Moss | CB | Iowa |
| 6 | 6 | JL Skinner | SAF | Boise State |
| 7 | 40 | Alex Forsyth | C | Oregon |
Round 2, Pick 63 Overall: Marvin Mims Jr., Tight End, Georgia (5’11” 183 lbs)
Depth Chart:
WR1: Jerry Jeudy
WR2: Courtland Sutton
WR3: Tim Patrick
WR4: Marvin Mims Jr.
TALENT
Marvin Mims Jr. was a very fun receiver to watch. He reminded me a lot of Chris Olave in the way he never seemed to be running very fast and then would just blow past a defender. Mims is a very fluid runner with a little bit of pop on his breaks. The thing that stands out the most is his speed. He is just blazing fast with very sudden acceleration.
There were some things that stood out to me about Mims that I didn’t care for. Off the line of scrimmage, he didn’t seem to have a very good first step. Once he is in motion though, Mims would get to his top speed so fast, it almost didn’t look like he was trying. Mims also didn’t break a lot of tackles. As a blocker, Mims clearly tries to block. He wasn’t very good at it, but the effort was there. When Mims did make clean contact on a block, he would lay into his guy. But that guy Mims played into never seemed to have a problem shedding the block.
What Mims lacks in blocking, he makes up for with his hands. Mims has very soft hands and had some incredible catches in the tape I watched. All in all, Mims was a very fun guy to watch. Overall, Marvin Mims Jr. was one of the most fun guys to scout.
2023 OPPORTUNITY
The opportunities for Mims are a bit murky. The Broncos have Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick ahead of Marvin Mims Jr. The question is whether Sean Payton actually wants any of those guys. Since 2006, Sean Payton has only drafted three receivers in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. Michael Thomas, Brandin Cooks, and Robert Meacham. Mims reminds me a lot of Cooks and even with those guys in front of him, he might be the best deep ball player on the Broncos.
It is also worth noting that outside of Jerry Jeudy, the Broncos are not committed to any of their other receivers after this year. Courtland Sutton can be cut with no penalty after the season and a ton of cap savings. Tim Patrick could be cut this year as a June 1st cut with no penalty. KJ Hamler shouldn’t even factor into the Broncos’ decision-making process.
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
There is usually a second-round receiver who surprises us in fantasy football. My money would go on Jonathan Mingo first, but if I were making a second bet, Marvin Mims Jr. would be my guy. Mims has better tape than two of the first-rounders who went before him and has an elite athletic profile. It is also worth noting that Mims is the first player that Sean Payton has drafted in Denver. Marvin Mims Jr. will be an interesting late-round flyer in fantasy drafts for 2023.
TALENT
2023 OPPORTUNITY
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
