Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo has significant upside and would help revamp Denver’s receiving corps.
The Denver Broncos have reportedly met or interviewed nearly a dozen receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft receiver class. Couple that with the various rumors of Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy being on the trade block and it’s clear the franchise is interested in revamping their receiving corps.
One player I like in this year’s draft is Ole Miss receiver Jonathan Mingo. If the Broncos are looking to add a physical player with a fearless on the field demeanor—he should definitely be on their radar. Let’s take a deeper look at him as a receiver and what he would bring to the franchise if selected.
Jonathan Mingo — Wide Receiver — Ole Miss
Height: 6’2” Weight: 220 lbs.
Bench Press: 22 reps | Arm Length: 31 5/8” | Hands: 10 3/8”
40 Yard Dash: 4.46 | 3 Cone Drill: 7.04 | 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.25
A first-team All-State performer, four-star recruit, and 2019 selection to the Under Armor All-American game, Jonathan Mingo was easily one of the best high school receivers in the state of Mississippi. Despite having interest from many major programs, the Brandon High School graduate stayed local and committed to Ole Miss in 2019.
In his freshman season with the Rebels, Mingo appeared in 12 games and tallied 12 receptions for 172 yards and one touchdown. He improved slightly as a sophomore upping his production to 27 catches in 379 games and three touchdowns.
Poised for a breakout season as a junior in 2021, he started off hot with 22 receptions for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, his promising season came to an end after a season-ending foot injury
After finally getting healthy, he rebounded as a senior and posted his best stats yet with 51 catches for 861 yards and 5 touchdowns in 13 starts. Now he is poised to hear his named called on Day 2 of this year’s draft and could become a much better pro than his collegiate statistics would leave you to believe.
Film Room and Highlights
Scouting Report
Positives: Has great size for the position, big hands and a large catch radius. One of the most athletic wide receivers (RAS) at the Combine and timed better in his 40-yard dash than expected. Intelligent player with the ability to play inside and out. Ideal for the “big slot” receiver in Sean Payton’s offense. Has a tenacious demeanor and fearless play-style that bodes well for him when working over the middle of the field. One of the better route runners in this class with experience running a versatile route tree. Shows willingness and physicality blocking in the run game. Averaged 15.7 yards per catch over the course of his career. Performance against Vanderbilt in 2022 showed his ability to take over a game.
Negatives: Average and inconsistent production of the course of his career. Junior season limited after suffering a season-ending foot injury and has had other minor injuries causing him to miss time. Separating routinely against top corners might be a bit more challenging in the NFL. Occasional lapses in concentration and “body catching” lead to dropped balls [17 in 4 seasons over 210 targets]. Could improve his performance on 50-50 and contested catches.
Overall: Top 100 selection. Third-round value.
Mingo’s Fit With the Broncos
There aren’t really any elite wide receivers in this year’s draft “guaranteed” to become top-flight players in the NFL. For the most part, you have a relatively solid crop of prospects who have a few plus traits that teams are hoping to maximize.
With respect to Mingo, his prototypical size and physique are a huge draw. Quite simply, he possesses certain tools that cannot be taught. If he stays healthy and can correct some of the issues mentioned above, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him become one of the better players at the position to come out of this class.
In a best-case scenario, he may grow into a true #1 wide receiver worthy of a lot of targets each season. While his past injuries and mediocre production are concerning, I feel his upside is tremendous and believe he merits consideration in the third round of this year’s draft. I’d be ecstatic if the Broncos were able to add someone of his caliber to their receiving corps.