NY Jets WR Denzel Mims is 'on the roster bubble' this summer

Perhaps no player on the NY Jets roster had a more disappointing 2021 season than wide receiver Denzel Mims. Mims entered the year looking to build upon a promising rookie season, only to find himself in the doghouse before long.

The new coaching staff quickly soured on Mims and he plummeted down the depth chart before the season ever began. Despite eventually receiving his fair share of opportunities last year, Mims was essentially a complete liability anytime he was on the field.

The hope is that Mims' fortunes will change going into 2022. The former second-round pick has reportedly shown up in excellent shape and he turned some heads this spring.

That doesn't change the fact that he'll be fighting for a roster spot this summer, though, as evidenced by the fact that ESPN's Rich Cimini recently insisted that Mims was "on the roster bubble."

NY Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims will have to earn his roster spot this summer

This shouldn't come as a surprise given what Mims' role on the team was last year. The former Baylor star was a healthy scratch at points early in the season and only received playing time as the year went on after a slew of injuries at the wide receiver position.

Once Mims got on the field, it quickly became apparent why the Jets were hesitant to give him snaps. The 24-year-old finished with just eight catches for 133 yards despite playing 279 offensive snaps. He tallied half as many penalties (four) as catches (eight).

On top of that, Mims' 48.7 Pro Football Focus grade would have ranked dead last among all wide receivers if he had played enough snaps to qualify. Simply put, Mims was a complete and utter disaster.

The Jets haven't given up on him yet, though. There are still some within the organization that believe he has the talent to turn his career around. That optimism has only grown this offseason.

Still, Mims is currently penciled in as the sixth wide receiver on the depth chart behind Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, Garrett Wilson, Braxton Berrios, and Jeff Smith. It seems unlikely he beats out Smith for that WR5 role, especially given how well the former undrafted free agent played this spring.

If he's to make the final roster, he'll have to hope the Jets carry six wide receivers and that he can beat out the other young wideouts on the team.

The Jets still have some hope for Denzel Mims, but he faces an uphill battle this summer.