Steelers Have An Under The Radar Former 2nd Round Talent That Could Breakthrough: "He's Going To Stand Out"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to look a lot different on the offensive side of the ball during the 2024 season than they did in recent years. Not only is there a ton of new faces, but there is also a new offensive scheme being implemented under Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith. The signing of Russell Wilson gives Pittsburgh their most dangerous quarterback since before Ben Roethlisberger's elbow injury in 2019. They also got rid of some players, as they parted ways with Diontae Johnson.

Johnson's departure made the Steelers desperate for help in the receiver room. George Pickens quickly became the only experienced, and reliable, receiving option. Pittsburgh went out and signed Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller, and also drafted Roman Wilson. Jefferson is the most proven out of the bunch, but shouldn't be relied upon to be the effective second receiving option the organization needs him to be. Pittsburgh also signed former second round pick, Denzel Mims, to a futures contract. 

Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently went on the North Shore Drive Podcast to discuss the Steelers' current wide receiver room. He mentioned his thoughts after seeing Mims through one week of OTAs. 

"I'm not sleeping on Denzel Mims. Denzel Mims, he's going to be like this year's Hakeem Butler in camp, hopefully without all the drops. He's going to stand out physically. I mean, he is just another guy who I've kind of watched at times this week and said that I'm a little more bullish on the overall depth of this receiver group, even though, again, it'd look a lot better if someone could seize the moment as the true number two. That's part of what the Steelers are assessing right now."

Calling Mims the 2024 version of Hakeem Butler isn't necessarily a compliment. Butler did have fans excited ahead of the 2023 season, mainly because of his pure physicality and stature. Inevitably, he had trouble catching balls and finding his footing with the Steelers and was cut at the end of training camp. He has since found success in other leagues like the UFL.

Mims and Butler are separated by their football pedigree. Mims was once great enough to be a second round pick, but has struggled in unstable offenses to begin his NFL career. The New York Jets selected him with the 59th overall pick in 2020, and eventually traded him ahead of the 2023 season to the Detroit Lions. He was waived by the Lions before the 2023 season kicked off, and spent most of 2023 on Pittsburgh's practice squad.

Mims was one of the best receivers in college football during his time at Baylor, as he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark twice at the college level. He hasn't been able to find the same success in the pros, as his best year was his rookie season where he recorded 357 receiving yards. Mims is still patiently waiting for his first career touchdown. 

Steelers' Denzel Mims Was Drafted Into A Horrible Situation

Mims played three seasons with the Jets, where he saw six different quarterbacks start. His most consistent quarterback during his time in New York was Zach Wilson, which says a lot about what Mims was being asked to do. He had no chance of succeeding with Wilson, or the five other guys that threw him passes in the Big Apple.

Instability at quarterback wasn't the only issue in New York for Mims. He was also asked to play under two different head coaches and two different offensive coordinators over that three-year span. 

Mims certainly hasn't lived up to the expectations of being a second round pick. However, a large chunk of the blame for that should be placed on the situation he was drafted into. Now, in Pittsburgh, he has one of the best head coaches in the league, an established offensive coordinator, and a veteran quarterback. Mims is poised to breakout in 2024, if given the opportunity. 

What do you think about the impact Mims will have in 2024? Comment below!

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