Denzel Mims is going the extra mile after falling behind Jets' wide receivers

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Denzel Mims can be seen on the sideline or off on other fields catching extra passes from a quarterback when he’s not in team or position drills. The second-year Jets receiver is doing everything he can to catch up.

Mims missed just about all of OTAs because of a bout of food poisoning. He said he lost 20 pounds from bad salmon, and valuable time on the field with his teammates, new quarterback Zach Wilson and the Jets’ new system.

"It set me back a lot," Mims said after practice Wednesday. "Those guys are out there practicing every day and I was dealing with an illness and I wasn’t up here every day. I’m trying to do everything I can to make sure I bounce back and catch up so come Week 1 I’ll be ready to go."

Much has been made about Mims’ usage or lack thereof in training camp.

Mims started eight of the nine games he played during an injury-riddled rookie season. But until recently, Mims has been working mostly with the second and third teams. The second-round pick from Baylor has been getting more reps lately with the first group.

There are questions about whether the 6-3 Mims, whose route running needs improvement, is a fit for the offense that new coordinator Mike LaFleur is running. But Robert Saleh has been consistent in saying that Mims is in the "rotation," and vehemently denied that the Jets are ready to move on from the receiver.

"Absolutely not," Saleh said.

Despite missing nearly half of last season because of hamstring injuries, Mims showed an ability to use his length and strength to make contested catches while playing in one of the NFL’s worst offenses. He caught 23 passes for 357 yards.

The Jets’ receiver corps has much more talent than last season. They added free agents Corey Davis and Keelan Cole and impressive rookie Elijah Moore to a group that already included reliable slot receiver Jamison Crowder.

Mims couldn’t afford to miss time, and he still has ground to make up to re-establish himself as an important player in the Jets’ future.

He said he’s putting in extra work before and after practice, trying to build chemistry with the quarterbacks. He said it’s his choice to take passes from a quarterback when he’s not in a play.

"That’s what I want," he said. "You don’t got to catch extra balls. They don’t force you to catch extra balls. But I want to catch extra balls. I want to get extra time with the quarterbacks and the coaches so I can get ready."

After dropping from 217 pounds to 197 in the spring, Mims returned to the Jets weighing 208. He said he’s working on his conditioning and lifting weights to keep his strength.

Mims feels comfortable playing at this weight now and is starting to feel more comfortable with the offense as well.

The past two practices Mims has been more involved overall and has gotten reps with the starters. He made a nice catch in the back of the end zone during one-on-one red zone drills on Wednesday, and another on the sideline during 7-on-7.

"He’s got that fire in him," Wilson said. "He just wants to be great. He’s really trying to show everybody what he can do. He’s just doing everything he can to make sure he follows his assignment, gives that full effort. We’re going to do what we can to get him the ball."

Mims said he hasn’t lost confidence and wasn’t worried about his role because of the upgrades the Jets made at receiver.

"If you’re worrying about that you ain’t getting no better," Mims said. "I just got to worry about myself."

Mims is doing that and believes he will continue to improve.

"It’s always a lot of room to grow, to be better," Mims said. "I feel like I’m getting better. I feel like there’s a lot left in the tank. I’m going to continue to focus on one day at a time and get better."