A busy day on the South Side continues for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After adding offensive lineman Obinna Eze to the practice squad, the Steelers are also signing veteran wide receiver Denzel Mims to the practice squad, according to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo.
Mims, who is working his way back from an ankle injury suffered in training camp after being traded from the New York Jets to the Detroit Lions, reunites with his former college wide receivers coach in Pittsburgh’s Frisman Jackson, who recruited Mims to Baylor.
Under Jackson, Mims had 121 receptions for 1,814 yards and 20 touchdowns in 25 college games. That led to the Jets selecting him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Mims clocked a 4.38 40-yard dash coming out of Baylor and was a serious height/weight/speed combination, checking in at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds.
Earlier in the offseason, Matt Lombardo of Heavy on Sports stated the Steelers could be in the mix for Mims when it came to the Jets shopping him via trade. Obviously that never occurred as Mims was traded to the Lions for a late-round pick before ultimately being released.
Now, as Mims works his way back from the ankle injury and lands with a stable organization in the Steelers, heading to the practice squad to continue to rehab and work back to form.
Mims never quite caught on in New York after the Jets used a high pick on him thanks to some poor quarterback play featuring Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson. In three seasons with the Jets, Mims had just 42 catches for 676 yards on 92 total targets with a long of 63 yards. He’s yet to find the end zone in his career.
The Steelers continue to shuffle some pieces around on the practice squad. After Dez Fitzpatrick was signed to the 53-man roster by the Steelers last week and then cut after the Texans game, the Steelers had some need for depth at the wide receiver position on the practice squad. Mims joins fellow WRs Duece Watts, Jalen Camp and Jacob Copeland on the practice squad, though a move could be coming regarding one of those three.
