Sean Payton expects Marvin Mims Jr. to get more looks

Good morning, Broncos Country.

One of the mysterious storylines that exists in our current Denver Broncos timeline is the utilization of wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.

The Broncos traded up to select him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft due to his dynamic playmaking ability and speed. He was a great player for the Oklahoma Sooners who was a deep threat and also could accumulate yardage after the catch. After an impressive start to his rookie campaign, Mims Jr. fell off the face of the earth and was simply absent from a lot of the Broncos’ offensive game plans throughout the rest of the season.

Fans were hoping that might change this season. Unfortunately, Mims Jr. had only one target in the Broncos’ loss on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. After practice yesterday, Payton was asked about the lack of Mims in their game plan in their season opener.

“It’s part of the challenges when we have multiple receiver groups. Obviously, we anticipated him getting more than just 12 snaps. A lot of it depends on how much of the game we’re playing in nickel on offense, three receiver sets or base sets,” stated Payton.

“That can vary, but I think you’ll see his pitch count week-to-week, depending on the team we’re playing, go up.”

Head Coach Sean Payton talked all offseason long about the advantages of a big wide receiver corps. Alas, that really didn’t pan out when rewatching the tape against the Seahawks. In order for offenses to have success in the National Football League they need players with speed that opposing defenses have to account for. Mims Jr. certainly has that, as well as rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin. The other big-bodied targets the team has? Not so much.

If the Broncos want to help jumpstart their offense, giving both of those guys looks—especially Mims Jr.—should be a priority. They weren’t able to get anything done in their screen game to Jaleel McLaughlin and all the passes his way seem to be telegraphed. Is it really that difficult to come up with a gameplan where their young receivers with speed get 3-5 manufactured touches a game?

We all saw their collegiate highlights and what they are capable of. And all of Broncos Country saw how explosive Mims Jr. can be when the ball is thrown his way. It’s time for Payton to stop overthinking this one. You traded up for both receivers—start utilizing them.

As always—thank you for reading. Here is today’s slate of articles for Horse Tracks.

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