Denzel Mims, Baylor Bears. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Drew Brees gets another big receiver in the first round of this New Orleans Saints mock draft in the form of Baylor’s Denzel Mims.
The New Orleans Saints were one of the regular season’s best teams, posting a 13-3 record behind an elite offense and an above-average defense. But in the end, New Orleans came up short again in the postseason, losing in overtime to the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round.
After back-to-back seasons of playoff heartbreak, the Saints will be back with a vengeance in 2020 in their quest to win a second Super Bowl ring for Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees. They took an important step by signing a top-notch No. 2 wideout in Emmanuel Sanders, who should form a great complement with Michael Thomas.
With no glaring needs on either side of the ball, the Saints can focus on drafting the best players available in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Here’s how their picks could look when the draft weekend is all said and done.
Denzel Mims
Wide Receiver, Bears
The latest thrilling wide receiver prospect to come out of Baylor, Denzel Mims is one of the most highly regarded wideouts in a loaded class. While the New Orleans Saints do not need to draft a top-notch receiver after winning the battle for Emmanuel Sanders over fellow NFC Super Bowl contenders the Green Bay Packers, Mims would very likely be the best overall player available at No. 24.
It’d be extremely difficult for Mickey Loomis to pass on a player of Mims’ caliber. Michael Thomas, Mims, Sanders, Jared Cook, and running back Alvin Kamara could give the Saints the scariest offense in the league, bar none. Brees has made juggernauts out of lesser pass-catchers, and while he’s in the twilight of his career, you can only imagine what he could do with a guy like Mims in the fold.
The Saints are going all-in with Brees in his last couple of years with the franchise, so they might as well scoop up a potentially elite receiver if one falls into their lap at No. 24.
Mims has a jaw-dropping combination of size and speed as a 6-foot-3 wideout with 4.48s wheels. He is a threat to take it to the house on any given play, and in Tre’Quan Smith and Mims, the Saints could have two of the league’s premier playmakers at the position in 2020.
New Orleans should focus on hitting a home run with their first-round pick, especially since they don’t have a second-rounder. With his athletic tools, Mims can be a game-changer.