Jets 2022 Make or Break players: Can Denzel Mims bounce back?

NFL training camp starts at the end of July, which means players around the league are getting their last bits of offseason work in before the real work of trying to make the roster begins.

For certain players, this season is what some may call make or break, meaning they need to put together a productive year or they could be looking for employment elsewhere at the end of the 2022 campaign.

We’ll highlight those players for the Jets, continuing today with wide receiver Denzel Mims.

2021 Stats (11 games)

Eight catches, 133 yards

Catch percentage: 35 percent with two dropped passes

Five offensive penalties

Why Make or Break?

When the Jets selected Mims in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, they were probably hoping that he’d have developed into a piece they could build around by now. However, that hasn’t been the case.

In the second half of his rookie year, Mims looked like an exciting prospect. However, in 2021, he struggled to get on the field and when he did get opportunities, he typically failed to make any impact. Down the stretch, the Jets had multiple injuries at the receiver position, but Mims still failed to make his mark and the team turned to other reserves instead.

The Jets’ approach to the 2022 offseason has made it clear that they are no longer banking on Mims being a part of their long-term plans. They re-signed Braxton Berrios and drafted Garrett Wilson to add to a group that already includes Corey Davis and Elijah Moore. However, players with Mims’ athletic gifts don’t come along too often, so the Jets will probably still hold out some hope that they can develop him into a more reliable contributor.

Mims still has two years left on his rookie deal but with at least four receivers likely to be ahead of him in the rotation, it’s going to be difficult for him to make an impact in 2022. If he doesn’t contribute early on in training camp and the preseason, the team could start to think about whether they could get anything for him in a trade.

What will break it?

If Mims is going to make some headway, he cannot afford any further setbacks. If he misses time due to injuries or illness, as he did in each of his first two seasons, it will be very difficult for him to catch up.

What went wrong in 2021 can be traced back to when he lost weight due to a severe bout of food poisoning, then struggled to get his strength back over the course of the season. This affected his ability to get separation and compete for the ball.

Despite these issues, there’s no excuse for not knowing the playbook and that’s another area where Mims let himself down in 2021. If he’s lining up in the wrong place and getting flagged for penalties, it’s hardly surprising that the team would pull him out of the game for someone who knows their role.

What will make it?

In a nightmare 2021 season that saw Mims only catch eight passes, it’s difficult to find many examples of Mims showcasing the kind of talent that had Jets fans excited about his potential following his rookie year. Perhaps his best highlight was in the preseason, when he ran over multiple Giants defenders on a spectacular third-and-long conversion.

That’s the kind of fire Mims needs to bring in 2022, as he is faced with the reality that this could be his last chance to contribute.

If Mims knows his role and is more comfortable with what he’s doing, then perhaps he can start to showcase some of the downfield abilities he impressed with as a rookie. He showed an ability to go up and over defensive backs on some spectacular downfield grabs.

During the offseason so far, Mims has stayed healthy with coaches lauding him for showing up in outstanding shape. He also seems to be more comfortable with the offensive system and has been making the most of some of the players ahead of him being absent, by making multiple plays during OTAs and mandatory minicamp. In order to crack the rotation during the regular season, he has to carry this momentum into training camp and preseason.