How Multiple Challenges at Oklahoma Put Marvin Mims on His NFL Path

In three seasons in Norman, Mims caught 123 passes for 2,39 yards and 20 touchdowns. His volume of works wasn’t massive as the Sooners endured a pandemic and a quarterback change under Lincoln Riley, and then a new play caller last year in Jeff Lebby.

But after catching just 37 and 32 passes his first two seasons, Mims’ junior season was by far his best statistically, as he broke out with 54 catches for 1,083 yards and six TDs.

Mims was asked about playing in an offensive system that didn’t require much nuance as a route-runner, and acknowledged that his time at OU wasn’t very technical as a receiver.

“I mean, Oklahoma didn’t ask me to run this technical route tree,” he said. “We didn’t have those routes in. But I mean, I ran routes. I’m a receiver. I run routes. High school; I have a trainer, I run routes with him, all types of stuff. Some practice tape at Oklahoma, especially in coach Riley’s offense, we have comebacks and all that type of stuff. In coach Lebby’s offense, I just wasn’t asked to do it.”

Another question Mims got was whether his big-play ability — especially his tendency to out-jump defensive backs to high-point a deep ball — is just natural or something he works at.

“Both,” Mims said. “I think it’s natural and something you work at. I played a lot of basketball growing up, AAU and all that stuff. Never a big guy. Always had amazing jumping skills, so getting rebounds and all that stuff. And just the footballs in the air, the way I look at it, I’m coming down with it no matter what I have to do. You talk about the Tech catch, sticking a hand behind the guy’s back, trying to tip it to myself, just like crazy stuff, whatever I can do to get the ball in my hands.”

Players meet the press and perform workouts and drills at the Combine, but the real value for some teams being in Indianapolis all week is getting to meet the prospects face-to-face and ask hard questions. Among the coaching staffs that Mims has talked to are two teams that are run by former OU quarterbacks: the Arizona Cardinals (Kyler Murray) and the Philadelphia Eagles (Jalen Hurts).

“I spoke to the Eagles two days ago, and playing in a scheme like that, it’d be great,” Mims said. “I’ve shown that I can block physically on the perimeter in college, and wherever I can get an opportunity, that’d be great.

“ … Yeah, I’ve spoken with the Arizona Cardinals. Their Oklahoma scout has been watching me for the past three years. Marquise Brown’s out there, so talked to him recently in the past. Talked to their wide receivers coach not too long ago in informal interviews.”

Wide receivers work out Saturday with quarterbacks and tight ends at Lucas Oil Stadium. Defensive linemen and linebackers worked out Thursday, defensive backs Friday and running backs and offensive linemen Sunday.