The Denver Broncos made a significant upgrade to their wide receiver group this offseason trading for Jaylen Waddle. His presence in the Broncos’ offense should pay immediate dividends and help them become more efficient and productive as a group in 2026.
However, Waddle’s addition means less targets for the rest of the Broncos’ receiving room. Three young players in Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Marvin Mims Jr. all vying for a steady role in the team’s offensive plans this season, but just how involved
they will be with Waddle’s addition remains to be seen.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Mims’ future with the franchise is uncertain. The former Oklahoma standout earned Pro-Bowl and All-Pro accolades in his first two seasons with the franchise. But in 2025, he took a step back with respect to offensive production. On the bright side, was the NFL’s leader in punt return yards and had a career high of 658 yards on kickoff returns with an impressive 26.3-yard return average.
Will Denver give Mims more looks on offense in ’26 or will his target share be similar to years prior? Let’s discuss what the upcoming season could be like for the talented fourth year wide receiver.
Player Profile
Age: 24 | Experience: Fourth Year | College: Oklahoma | Height: 5’11” | Weight: 182 pounds
Arm Length: 31-5/8” | Hand Size: 9” | Vertical: 39-1/2” | Broad Jump: 10’9”
40-Yard Dash: 4.38 seconds | 3-Cone: 6.9 seconds
2025 Statistics: 37 receptions on 51 targets for 322 receiving yards and 1 touchdown. 12 rushes for 78 yards and 1 touchdown. 452 punt return yards and 1 punt return touchdown. 658 kick return yards.
Marvin Mims Jr.’s 2026 outlook with the Broncos
With Courtland Sutton and the aforementioned Waddle slated to be Denver’s top receiver duo this season, it will be interesting to see how the rest of Denver’s target share shakes out. History shows that a tight end and running back usually wind up in the Top 4 with respect to targets in the Head Coach Sean Payton’s offensive scheme.
If that holds true for this season, Mims may be looking at fifth most in target share going up against Troy Franklin, who had over 100 targets in ’25, and Pat Bryant who was on par with Mims relative to targets last season.
Truth be told, I expected Mims to be more involved in the offense than he was. Back in 2024, he had 52 targets on just 297 offensive snaps. Last season, he received 51 targets in 379 offensive snaps. Even with more playing time, his production plummeted compared to his 39 catch, 503 yard and 6 touchdown campaign the year prior. In mid-June, Coach Payton offered his thoughts on Mims and his role in the offense for the upcoming season.
“He doesn’t need to convince us. I feel like each week when we go in to game planning, we’re always talking about certain things, and his name, I know, comes up from me. Every time we continue to ask him down the field, give him these opportunities, he takes advantage of it. He’s been very consistent. It’s just a matter of getting those touches,” stated Payton.
One area to keep an eye on for Mims is yards per reception. After posting an eye-popping 17.1 yard per reception average as a rookie, Mims sported a paltry 8.7 last season. Part of that was due to a significant decrease in target depth, but also a lack of explosive plays down the field. Nevertheless, Mims was efficient when targeted and boasted a 73-percent catch percentage last season.
Final Thoughts
Mims’ future with the Broncos beyond the ’26 season is a huge question mark. However, his potential role in the team’s offensive plans this year looms large as well. In an optimal scenario, I could envision Mims getting roughly 75 targets. If he split the difference between the Y/R averages in the aforementioned seasons, that would provide the opportunity for his best season to date.
Though coming up with that sort of target increase with Waddle being an enormous part of the team’s offensive equation may be hard to come by. Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb has a big task in front of him trying to come up with game plans that spread the ball around to a wide array of playmakers There is no doubt Mims is a big playmaker, but will he finally get an increase in target share in a contract year? We’ll just have to wait and see.
