With injuries on offense, Broncos need Marvin Mims Jr. to pick things up quickly

ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO – In a league full of players with absurd high school football stats, Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.’s may be at the top of the list.

Mims concluded his high school career at Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas, as the state’s career receiving leader with 5,485 yards. Mims concluded his final season at Lone Star with 2,629 receiving yards on 117 catches and 32 touchdowns. He has seven 200-yard games and one 303-yard game in which his team scored at least 40 points ten times.

Combine that with a 19.5 yards per reception average during his three seasons at the University of Oklahoma, and the Broncos quickly snagged Mims with the 63rd choice in April – their first pick of the draft.

Given the recent losses to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and tight end Greg Dulcich, the Broncos obviously have big hopes for Mims. Mims is now firmly entrenched in an offense that urgently needs his quickness.

“It’s just going out there and trusting my preparation and technique,” Mims explained. “As I’ve said before, when you get to this league, you quickly realize that everyone is smart, everyone is prepared, and everyone has looked at what you do.” That’s a lot different than college, but it’s all part of developing as a professional.

The Broncos’ roster of pass catchers has felt the sting of bad fortune to this point. Wide receiver KJ Hamler isn’t on the roster after being diagnosed with a heart condition before training camp. Wide receiver Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in the first week of training camp, Jeudy continues to work back from a hamstring injury he suffered as camp drew to a close and Dulcich suffered a hamstring injury Sunday in the Broncos’ Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Jeudy has not yet practiced fully and Dulcich is expected to miss several games.

That puts Mims in a position to get far more snaps than any ramp-up plan the Broncos may have had for him before the injuries hit. He played 17 snaps at wide receiver Sunday, finishing with two receptions for nine yards, but he came within an eyelash of returning the second-half kickoff for a touchdown, tripped up by Raiders safety Roderic Teamer at the last moment with nothing but open real estate in front of him.

You can see what he’s capable of,” Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. “… Without a doubt, he’s progressing quickly.”

He will have to, given the state of the Broncos’ injury report. To fill out the depth chart for Sunday’s game, the Broncos had to promote two wide receivers from the practice squad: Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Phillip Dorsett.

Humphrey, who previously played under Broncos coach Sean Payton in New Orleans, finished the game with 45 snaps, second only to Sutton’s 55. Brandon Johnson, an undrafted rookie who joined the Broncos last season, also played 32 snaps.

But what the Broncos need the most from Mims is big plays.

Mims’ 19.5 yards per catch average over 37 games and 123 receptions with the Sooners was among the best of any wide receiver on the draft board.

“I’ve always tried to really prepare so I know what I’m seeing [from a defense] when I line up,’’ Mims said. “I want to make sure I’m using whatever I can to help our offense. [Patrick] has been like a big brother to me here, learning, but I want to bring whatever I can, put in the work as much as I can to be reliable.’’

Mims ran a 4.38 (electronically timed) 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, one of the best among skill players in Indianapolis. Payton and the Broncos have talked about Mims being a quick study who can turn information into action on the field.

The Broncos also saw the Raiders give their offense a steady diet of zone coverages Sunday that kept the Broncos away from the big play for much of the afternoon — the Broncos’ longest pass play was a 21-yard catch-and-run by Johnson and Wilson averaged just 6.6 yards per completion in the game.

“Obviously, the thing offensively that stood out is there weren’t any [explosive plays],” Payton said Monday. “ … Certainly, you miss Jerry and you miss Greg. The other thing, we got a little bit more — a lot more — soft zone coverage … You’re waiting for the down safety looks, you’re waiting for the opportunities that maybe provide you those chances down the field, but I would say a little bit more shell [coverage] than expected and force the throws to come underneath.’’

The only thing that has slowed Mims down to this point has been separate hamstring injuries, the first in the offseason program, the second early in training camp.

“I think the jump is that he’s healthy,’’ said Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi of Mims’ surge as the preseason drew to a close. “ … Since he’s been back, he’s impressed me with the consistency with his effort. He’s a fast guy who’s always fast. Sometimes they burn out, you don’t feel like they’re able to maintain that speed play after play. He’s been very consistent, impressive with his speed.’’

As the Broncos prepare to meet the Washington Commanders in Week 2 (4:25 p.m., CBS), Mims may be ready for his big moment.

“You want to take everything in and then apply it as quickly as possible to what you see in a game,” Mims added. “I want to be ready, absorb everything, and apply it to the game as soon as possible.”