ESPN’s Keyshawn Johnson believe it is still too early for the Jets to give up on Denzel Mims.
“You can’t think that a first-year or second-year is all of a sudden gonna step up and catch 70 balls, everybody can’t do that, especially with this organization,” Johnson told The Post. “This is not a second-year guy with the Los Angeles Rams, or the Arizona Cardinals.
“Your quarterback play over the last couple of years has been garbage. Your offenses have been garbage. So how can you expect for anybody to flourish, or do anything at all?”
Mims, following a pair of costly penalties that led to him playing one play in the second half of Sunday’s Saints loss, is drawing unflattering comparisons to Stephen Hill, a 2012 second-round pick, same as Mims, who busted out after two seasons.
“Some of it is self-inflicted,” Johnson said, “and some of it is the wrong situation.”
Rookie Elijah Moore, currently sidelined with a quad injury, has caught 43 passes for 538 yards and five touchdowns. Mims, dogged by injuries, food poisoning, COVID and a system he has struggled in, has 31 career receptions for 490 yards and no touchdowns.
“Elijah Moore has made some plays, there’s no question about it,” Johnson said. “But you can’t just say Denzel Mims is bad because Elijah Moore’s had a few flash plays this year. … I remember when you all told me [1996 second-round pick] Alex Van Dyke was better than me because he had a great minicamp.”
Johnson, the first-overall pick in the 1996 draft by the Jets, was built for the New York spotlight.
“You all don’t scare me,” he said. New York has scared plenty of others.
“New York is certainly the wrong place for some guys,” Johnson said. “I don’t know him so I don’t know if it’s the wrong place for him or not.”
How does Mims make it the right situation for him?
“By coming back and working your ass off in the offseason and dedicating yourself to being successful,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s advice for Mims: “Put everything behind you over the last two years, come back and have the best training camp that you’ve ever had, and be ready to go.”
Johnson thought Mims was a good pick.
“And I think it still might be a good pick,” he said.
Asked if there was any hope for Mims, he said: “Call me this time next year and I’ll let you know if there’s hope.”