Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ended the 2024 campaign on an absolute tear. Already a Pro Bowl kick and punt returner twice to open his career, Mims finally showed that he could make just as big of an impact on offense.
The question on everyone's mind is how real and lasting that late-season emergence was. Does Mims' production down the stretch signal that he's turned a corner as a receiver, and will he translate that momentum into the 2025 season?
Broncos head coach Sean Payton weighed in following Thursday's OTA session, dishing on how Mims' growing confidence can be seen and felt now.
“I’ve said this to you before. Confidence is born out of demonstrated ability," Payton said on Thursday. "Athletes grow up right in front of your eyes. That began not just at the end of the season. That began early part of the middle [of the] season. You could see it and certainly feel it now.”
After seemingly being the forgotten man behind Courtland Sutton and rookie Devaughn Vele, Mims' impact on offense really began to be palpable in Week 10 on the road vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Out of the blue, Payton deployed Mims as a running back, and not just for window dressing, giving him some carries to throw the Chiefs off.
Those carries weren't exactly of the traditional between-the-tackles variety, but Payton got the ball in Mims' hands on the perimeter. It didn't redound to big yardage, but it got the Chiefs defense thinking a little bit, and that slight pause in their collective synapses softened things up for Bo Nix, especially early on.
Mims would be given 12 carries over the ensuing seven weeks, not all of which were from the running back spot in the backfield. That involvement in the offense seemed to unlock something for the young weapon. By Week 12, Payton was giving Mims more routes, and it translated to targets and receptions.
Mims had two 100-yard receiving games in the final five weeks, and capped off the season with back-to-back two-touchdown games. As a receiver. He was crucial in the Broncos taking the Cincinnati Bengals into overtime in Week 17, making some gritty catches in the clutch, two of which were for touchdowns.
Payton says Mims' emergence began in the middle of the season, and that's true. Payton had to somewhat force it by deploying him as a gadget-type player, but it opened the door to bigger things. And now, it seems that the original vision Payton had for Mims when he drafted him in the second round in 2023 has taken shape.
The Broncos have some interesting players on offense, but with his elite twitchiness and speed, Mims could be the guy with the highest ceiling and potential to truly break out on the NFL scene. If the Broncos' improvements to the running back room translate to a better rushing attack, look for Mims to be a devastating dagger down the field in the play-action game.
