Broncos may have fixed former 2nd-round pick who was struggling badly

The Denver Broncos appeared to be on track for virtually a lost season regarding second-year receiver Marvin Mims in 2024 until recently. Mims's playmaking ability was showcased early (but not often) last season and he ended up earning All-Pro honors for his abilities as a return specialist.

The hope in the 2024 offseason was that Mims would really grow for the Broncos and become a true go-to threat within the offense. The Broncos were seemingly confident enough in the possibility that they traded Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns for NFL Draft scraps. Unfortunately, the progression of Mims was not progression at all.

It was a sophomore slump.

Marvin Mims is starting to break out for the Broncos offense

For the majority of the season, Mims has been non-existent in the Denver Broncos' offense. His involvement has been extremely limited, his production has been minimal, and it didn't seem like the Broncos were going to be able to count on him at all. For whatever reason, Mims seems to be able to go out there and do extremely well on punt returns, looking like a natural with the ball in his hands, but the Broncos couldn't get him going on offense if their lives depended on it.

That is, until recently.

After the trade deadline, where the Broncos didn't make any moves to add help in the playmaker department, it seemed like Sean Payton and his coaching staff made a concerted effort to figure out why Mims looked so good on punt return and why they couldn't figure out a way to allow his skill set to thrive in the offense.

We've begun seeing Mims lined up in the backfield as a running back. We've seen him going in motion, flying around the field, and creating space for other players. Now, we've seen him have a true "breakout" game this season. Mims had four carries and two receptions in Denver's win against the Falcons, racking up 53 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown offensively. He also added 57 yards on three punt returns, setting the Broncos up with great field position on a couple of occasions.

It's not like the Broncos have never manufactured touches for Marvin Mims before, but there's something different about the approach this time. You can tell that the coaching staff reflected on why they weren't able to get this talented young player going, and they made an adjustment.

Instead of sitting Mims on the bench, they're figuring out ways to unlock his skill set. They're fixing a problem. And if Mims starts heating up, it really couldn't be at a better time for the Denver Broncos. Having his playmaking ability full steam ahead will give this Denver Broncos offense a weapon they haven't had all year long.