The Denver Broncos are asking Marvin Mims Jr. to do something different.
He is coming off a breakout 2024 season in which he was an All-Pro on special teams and also caught six touchdowns as a wide receiver.
Now, though, Mims is being asked to step into a more consistent, reliable offensive role.
A season ago, Mims played as a WR outside just 50% of the time.
But in the Broncos' first preseason game, 15 of Mims' 16 snaps were spent as a wide guy, not in the slot, according to fantasy analyst Hayden Winks.
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Second-year QB Bo Nix got 19 snaps, and 16 of those came with Mims on the field.
If those small-sample numbers can be read into, it seems like Mims will get to play most of the time and will be relied upon to win matchups on the perimeter.
A season ago, the Broncos did a lot of gadget stuff with Mims, from pop passes to screens.
They can still do that, to an extent, with him out wide. But the implication is they want him running down the field and making plays for Nix, too.
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Beyond star Courtland Sutton, the Broncos do have a bit of a lightweight WR room, at least in terms of proven commodities.
Mims, Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin all had some production last season.
They drafted Pat Bryant in the third round out of Illinois and also signed veteran free agent Trent Sherfield.
The Broncos could probably make it work even if Mims doesn't prove capable of being an outside wide receiver. But it's clear they want to give him a shot at seizing that role, and that could be big for his NFL future and the fate of the Broncos this season.
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