Denzel Mims Biography 2026: Age, Height, Wife, NFL Career, Baylor, Cowboys, Colorado Stampede & Net Worth

Denzel Mims is an American professional football wide receiver whose career has taken him from a record-setting Baylor career to the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft — and then through one of the most winding journeys in modern football. Once a New York Jets second-round pick with first-round measurables, Mims has since played for the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks and Dallas Renegades, and the Dallas Cowboys.

In 2026, he was selected by the Dallas Renegades in the UFL Draft, signed with the Dallas Cowboys in June, was released in August’s final cuts, and now suits up for the Colorado Stampede of the United Football League. Here is everything to know about his age, height, family, career, stats, and net worth.

Quick Facts

Fans who follow Denzel Mims often also search for Bryce Hall, Mekhi Becton, Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, and CeeDee Lamb — his 2020 Jets draft classmates, the receivers who eventually took his targets, and the stars whose careers his story keeps intersecting with.

Early Life & Education

Mims was born on October 10, 1997, in Daingerfield, Texas, a small town in the state’s northeast. He grew up in a football family: his father played college football at Baylor University, and all three of his brothers went on to become collegiate athletes, according to background reports.

At Daingerfield High School, Mims played both wide receiver and safety, while also running track and playing basketball. He committed to Baylor to play college football, following his father’s school — and arrived in Waco in 2016.

Career Journey

Record-Setting Career at Baylor (2016–2019)

Mims played 11 games as a true freshman in 2016, catching 4 passes for 24 yards. Everything changed his sophomore year: he became a starter, started 11 of 12 games, and finished with 61 receptions for 1,087 yards and eight touchdowns. As a junior in 2018, he added 55 catches for 794 yards and eight touchdowns, and earned a spot on the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

His senior season in 2019 was his best: starting all 13 games, he recorded 66 receptions for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns, and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. He closed his college career at the 2020 Sugar Bowl against Georgia, leading Baylor with five catches for 75 yards and the team’s lone receiving touchdown in a 26–14 loss.

By the time he left Waco, Mims ranked among the most productive receivers in Baylor history, with more than 2,900 career receiving yards and 28 touchdowns across four seasons. Scouts fixated on his testing numbers — the 4.38 forty, the 38.5-inch vertical — and projected him as a future first-rounder. What they could not measure was how much of his college production depended on being the only true alpha target in a run-heavy offense, a question his NFL career would answer the hard way.

New York Jets (2020–2022)

The Jets drafted Mims in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 59th overall pick. His rookie year was derailed early — a hamstring injury cost him most of training camp and landed him on injured reserve on September 15, 2020. Activated on October 24, he debuted in Week 7 against the Bills with 4 catches for 42 yards, and later missed a game due to a family emergency.

Opportunity never really came. On August 25, 2022, Mims requested a trade, with his agent Ron Slavin saying the Jets were not giving Mims a legitimate opportunity to establish himself in the offense. The trade never came; he played 10 games (4 starts) that season, with 11 catches for 186 yards and no touchdowns.

Lions, Steelers, and Jaguars (2023–2024)

Mims was traded to the Detroit Lions on July 20, 2023, in exchange for conditional 2025 draft picks, but was waived/injured on August 18 before the season began. The Pittsburgh Steelers signed him to their practice squad on October 3, 2023, gave him a reserve/futures contract on January 17, 2024, and waived him on June 19, 2024. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed him on June 20, 2024, then released him on August 25 — four NFL teams in two years without a regular-season catch.

The UFL Chapter (2024–2026)

Mims moved to the United Football League, signing with the St. Louis Battlehawks on October 15, 2024, before being released on May 6, 2025. On January 13, 2026, the Dallas Renegades selected him in the 2026 UFL Draft.

Dallas Cowboys and Colorado Stampede (2026)

His UFL form earned another NFL look: the Dallas Cowboys signed Mims on June 18, 2026. He was released on August 30 as the Cowboys trimmed their roster to 53, among cuts that also included Sam Williams and Jaydon Blue. In late 2026, Mims signed with the Colorado Stampede of the United Football League, where he wears No. 11 on the active roster.

For a player whose NFL story is often told through what went wrong in New York, the UFL has been a reset — professional football without the draft-day expectations, where a 6’3″ target with All-Big 12 credentials is again the biggest receiver on the field. Whether that translates into another NFL camp invite remains the open question of his career, but in 2026 it has already produced a Cowboys look and a stable starting job.

Career Stats

• NFL Career Totals: 42 receptions, 676 receiving yards
• Draft: 2020, 2nd round, 59th overall (New York Jets)
• Combine Measurables: 6 ft 2⅞ in, 207 lbs, 4.38-second 40-yard dash, 38.5-inch vertical, 10-ft-11 broad jump, 16 bench reps, 17 Wonderlic
• Best College Season: 66 catches, 1,020 yards, 12 TDs (2019)
• College Honors: First-team All-Big 12 (2019)
• Teams: Jets, Lions, Steelers, Jaguars, Battlehawks, Renegades, Cowboys, Colorado Stampede

Personal Life

• Relationship Status: Not publicly disclosed — Mims has never confirmed a wife, partner, or children publicly.
• Mother: Peggy Mims (reported), who raised him in Daingerfield.
• Father: Played college football at Baylor University (reported).
• Brothers: Three, all of whom became collegiate athletes (reported).
• Hometown: Daingerfield, Texas — still the anchor of his personal story.

Dating History and Affairs

Mims has kept his romantic life completely private. No girlfriends, fiancée, spouse, or affairs have ever been credibly reported, and he does not discuss relationships publicly. Any site claiming otherwise is speculating.

Controversies

Mims’ career has generated drama of the professional kind, not the personal kind:

• Trade request (August 2022): His agent publicly stated the Jets were denying Mims a legitimate opportunity — a rare public rift between a second-round pick and his drafting team.
• Missed game (2020): He missed a Week 14 game due to a family emergency, which drew brief media speculation before he returned to the team.

There have been no suspensions, arrests, or league discipline throughout his career through 2026.

Awards & Achievements

• First-team All-Big 12 (2019)
• Biletnikoff Award watch list (2018)
• Sugar Bowl appearance (2020) with Baylor
• Second-round NFL Draft selection — 59th overall, 2020
• One of the most productive receivers in Baylor history across three seasons as a starter

Physical Statistics

• Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) listed; measured 6 ft 2⅞ in at the Combine
• Weight: 207 lbs (94 kg)
• Arm Length: 33⅞ inches
• Wingspan: 6 ft 6½ inches
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.38 seconds
• Vertical Jump: 38.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 10 ft 11 in
• Hair/Eyes: Black hair, dark brown eyes

Favorites

• Position: Wide receiver — the role he has played at every level
• College: Baylor University, where his father also played
• High School Sport Beyond Football: Basketball and track
• Jersey Number: 11 with the Colorado Stampede
• Food & Entertainment: Private

Earnings

Mims’ net worth is estimated between $1 million and $5 million, primarily from his NFL contracts. His income sources include:

• Jets second-round rookie contract (2020–2022), worth several million dollars including signing bonus
• Practice squad and futures deals with the Steelers (2023–2024)
• Jaguars and Cowboys contract periods in 2024 and 2026
• UFL salaries with the Battlehawks, Renegades, and Colorado Stampede

Older reports listed a $1,055,000 base salary figure from his contract years, but his current deal terms with the Stampede are not publicly itemized.

Interesting Facts

• His 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was elite speed for a 6’3″ receiver — part of why analysts projected him in the first round.
• He scored the only Baylor receiving touchdown in the 2020 Sugar Bowl against Georgia.
• He followed his father’s path to Baylor — a legacy recruit in the truest sense.
• All three of his brothers were collegiate athletes, making the Mims household a genuine athletic family.
• He is one of the few players to appear on rosters for four NFL teams and three UFL teams.
• He was cut by the Cowboys in the same 2026 roster trim that included former first-round pick Sam Williams.

Did You Know Already?

• Despite never missing a season, Mims finished his NFL career — through 2026 — with 42 catches and zero touchdowns.
• His college career ended in the Sugar Bowl, one of college football’s showcase New Year’s games.
• He requested his trade out of New York on the same day he reported to training camp in 2022.
• The Dallas Renegades took him in the very first round of exposure at the 2026 UFL Draft.
• His Jets draft class (Becton, Mims, Hall) has become a famous case study in draft evaluation.

Social Media Links

• NFL Profile: Denzel Mims at NFL.com
• College Bio: Baylor Bears bio
• Wikipedia: Denzel Mims on Wikipedia

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Did Denzel Mims ever score an NFL touchdown?

No. Despite 42 career receptions and 676 yards, Mims never caught an NFL touchdown — one of the more surprising statistics attached to a second-round receiver from his draft class.

Where is Denzel Mims from?

He is from Daingerfield, Texas, a small town in the state’s northeast corner, where he starred at Daingerfield High School in football, basketball, and track.

Denzel Mims’ story is one of talent, timing, and persistence — an All-Big 12 star whose NFL path never matched his college promise, but who keeps earning chances across two leagues. Now with the Colorado Stampede, the 29-year-old’s next chapter is still open. If you found this biography helpful, please share it with other football fans!