Troy Franklin played at Oregon with Bo Nix. That has led some to believe the rookie might be a sleeper receiver. But the Broncos drafted a pretty similar receiver late in the second round last year – Marvin Mims – and I would think it’s about as likely that Mims will be the team’s best deep threat.
They’re similar kinds of wide receivers – smaller, deep-threat guys. Franklin averaged 17.1 yards per catch last year at Oregon, with 14 touchdowns. Mims averaged 20.1 yards per reception his final season at Oklahoma, but with only 6 TDs.
Mims is a little faster; he ran 4.38 at the combine – 3 hundredths fast than Franklin, and he jumped 5 inches farther. Franklin is 3 inches taller, while Mims is 7 pounds heavier (at the combine, he measured 5-11 and 183).
The key difference, I think, could be that Mims has been around for a year. Per the team’s website, Mims had the best play at Thursday’s practice, catching a long ball from Jarrett Stidham.
“Coming into Year Two, knowing what to expect, knowing the routes, knowing what I have to do as a receiver, I feel like this is starting to go a lot smoother for me, especially mentally,” Mims says.
Sean Payton says he’s expecting Mims to take a step forward.
Mims was a modest player as a rookie, catching only 22 passes. But those receptions at least averaged 17.1 yards. He had 60- and 53-yard catches against Washington and later had receptions of 48 and 47 yards. He also scored a 99-yard touchdown on a kickoff return and had a 52-yard punt return.
Only two players last year (and I’m not making his up) had more receptions over 45 yards – Tyreek Hill and Amari Cooper. (And Mims actually pulls even with Cooper when you toss in the kick returns.)
If I were using a late-round pick on a secondary Denver receiver, I would pick Mims rather than Franklin.
| PLAYERS WITH 3 CATCHES OVER 45 YARDS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Tm | No |
| Tyreek Hill | Mia. | 7 |
| Amari Cooper | Cle. | 6 |
| Marvin Mims | Den. | 4 |
| Nico Collins | Hou. | 4 |
| Deebo Samuel | S.F. | 3 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | Cin. | 3 |
| Mike Evans | T.B. | 3 |
| Josh Palmer | LAC | 3 |
| CeeDee Lamb | Dall. | 3 |
| Tre Tucker | L.V. | 3 |
| Zay Flowers | Balt. | 3 |
| Rashid Shaheed | N.O. | 3 |
| DK Metcalf | Sea. | 3 |
| George Pickens | Pitt. | 3 |
—Ian Allan