Risk Flags
6- Usage & Volume3
Mims ended 2025 with career-low 322 receiving yards on 37 catches despite playing 15 games. He plays a part-time role, logging under 35% snap share most weeks behind Sutton, Franklin, and Pat Bryant.
- Depth Chart
The Broncos' March 2026 Jaylen Waddle acquisition (cost: No. 30 overall pick + 3rd + 4th swap) buried Mims as an effective WR5 behind Sutton, Waddle, Franklin, and Bryant. His target share only spiked to 19–22% in the final two weeks of 2025 when Franklin and Bryant were banged up — that injury-driven window is now even narrower.
- Contract Situation
Mims enters 2026 in his final rookie contract year, but the Broncos have locked in significant cap commitments to Sutton and Waddle, making an extension for a WR5 gadget player impractical. A post-2026 release or free-agent walk is a realistic outcome, and Mims himself publicly questioned his role after the Waddle trade.
- Role Ceiling
ESPN named Mims the NFL's top gadget player — a double-edged distinction. Roughly 70% of his 2024 targets came behind the line of scrimmage, confirming he's an extension of the run game rather than a route-runner. His 2025 line of 37 rec / 322 yards / 1 TD underscores a hard ceiling in any PPR format without role expansion.