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Denver Broncos wide receiver and return specialist Marvin Mims Jr.

The Denver Broncos have too much talent at wide receiver and not enough targets to go around — a pretty good problem to have.

One of those talented wide receivers has seemed on the verge of a breakout season since the moment he got to the NFL, and it could lead to 2-time NFL All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowl return specialist Marvin Mims Jr. heading elsewhere to get that opportunity.

Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker put Mims at the top of his list of potential trade candidates headed into training camp.

“A talented playmaker who’s flashed at times, Mims could bring his explosiveness to another team given what Denver has done this offseason,” Locker wrote on May 20. “Despite being a second-round pick three years ago, Mims has yet to fully realize his home-run-hitting potential. Throughout his career, he’s produced a 70.7 PFF receiving grade with 1.71 yards per route run. Where Mims has been at his best is on deep passes, earning a 94.3 receiving mark.”

Marvin Mims Facing Uphill Battle on Depth Chart

While it was never just 1 move that sealed Mims’ fate in Denver — it was more like death from 1,000 cuts — trading a 1st-round pick for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in March probably did the trick.

That makes a glut at the top of the depth chart, where it’s Waddle and Courtland Sutton as 1A and 1B, then it’s straight Kumite after that, with up-and-comers Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant going head-to-head with Mims for that 3rd wide receiver spot.

That’s not to mention the touches going to a trio of talented running backs in J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Jonah Coleman. Tight ends Evan Engram and Justin Joly might also have something to say about getting the ball.

The smartest move for the Broncos might be to try to get a 4th or 5th-round pick back in exchange for Mims, who is entering the final season of his 4-year, $6 million rookie contract in 2026.

Marvin Mims Called NFL’s ‘Best Gadget Player’

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell named Mims the NFL’s “Best Gadget Player” because of his ability to do so many things and do them all well.

Mims was the 1st pick of the Sean Payton era in Denver, going in the 2nd round of the 2023 NFL draft, because the Broncos traded their 1st-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Russell Wilson.

“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,” Barnwell wrote.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay put Mims at the top of his list of contract extensions NFL teams would be “smart to avoid” in 2026.

“The Broncos should be cautious about making a lengthy commitment to Marvin Mims Jr.,” Kay wrote. “Although the wideout quickly emerged as an impactful return man — earning his second Pro Bowl nod and making the All-Pro team in 2024 —the 2023 second-rounder has consistently underwhelmed as a receiver. Mims has had ample opportunity to seize a key role in the passing game, but he has yet to reel in more than 40 receptions in a single season. He peaked with 503 receiving yards in 2024 and regressed to tally a career-low 322 receiving yards this past year.”