The Denver Broncos are a team on the rise. There's a lot of star power on the defensive side of the football, an emergent quarterback in Bo Nix and a future Hall of Fame coach at the helm.
But ESPN's Bill Barnwell views one of the Broncos' biggest sources of intrigue as a luxury asset worth league-wide recognition already, too. Barnwell crafted a list spotlighting eleven role players across the league and Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. was named his choice for the best "gadget player" in football.
Broncos' WR Marvin Mims named one of the best luxury players in the NFL
Thinking about the classic idea of an undersized gadget player who moves around the formation to thrive, catches all kinds of passes near the line of scrimmage and creates big plays with the ball in his hands, Mims comes to mind. Like many gadget players from years past, he adds value on special teams: He was the league's first-team All-Pro return man in 2024, averaging an NFL-best 15.7 yards per punt return.
As a receiver, though, Mims was plenty valuable in his own role. After using him primarily on the outside as a rookie, coach Sean Payton moved him around more often in 2024. Mims averaged just 0.8 yards per route run on the outside last season, but that jumped to a whopping 5.5 yards per route run out of the slot and in the backfield, as he proved to be an interesting player when lined up next to Bo Nix.
From Week 11 onward, Mims' 4.4 yards per route run was the best mark in the league for any player who ran 80 routes or more. While that came in a small sample and included some blown coverages along the way, he caught Nix's best pass of the year on a seam route versus a Tampa 2 scheme for a 93-yard touchdown against the Browns. He also had one of the best catches by any wide receiver all season, outjumping two Bengals defenders on a fourth-and-the-game prayer with nine seconds left to push another late-season game to overtime.
Is Mims really going to produce like Puka Nacua over a full season? No. As a player who can get the most out of the many bubble and swing screens he runs, show enough speed to threaten linebackers and safeties vertically, and serve as a high-end return man, he doesn't need to average 4-plus yards per route run to be valuable.- ESPN's Bill Barnwell
Barnwell is right to spotlight the explosive weapon that Mims is evolving into thanks in large part to his special teams value and some untraditional opportunities aligning as a pass catcher. The creativity of Payton is allowed to shine with someone who doesn't simply have to line up at one spot and run their routes — which is a concept the Broncos are looking to parlay into more multiplicity this year after the addition of some new weapons this offseason.
Mims is entering into his third year with the Broncos and seems to have explosive play opportunities every week; it just varies on how and where the opportunities come. Can he take additional steps as a receiver moving forward? If so, he may not be considered a gadget player for long and instead simply acknowledged as an offensive weapon. But that potential growth must happen and Mims must see more of the field if he's going to shed the label — he actually look less snaps in 2024 than he did as a rookie in 2023 on offense. He has yet to take at least 400 snaps offensively in a season.
It's an interesting layer to Denver's offseason. The Broncos spent a lot of resources to bolster the tight end, wide receiver and running back room. Mims' impact potential may be the one most directly accessible thanks to his time in the system. But, for now, he can enjoy the honor of being bestowed as the league's best gadget player this summer after a dynamic second season.
