The Lead
Years before they came teammates, new Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. and linebacker Drew Sanders were opponents.
As The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider details in a new feature, Mims and Sanders competed against each other in the 2019 Class 5A Division I state semifinals in Texas.
Sanders' team won that day, as his school limited Mims to 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. Mims' impressive stat line only seemed like a win for Sanders' school because of the outrageous nature of Mims' usual production.
As a senior, Mims set a national single-season high school record with 2,626 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Sanders, too, was an impressive player — and nearly had a touchdown in that state semifinal. According to Mims' high school coach, Jeff Rayburn, Sanders picked off a bubble screen and ran it back for a score. The referee, though, ruled Sanders offside.
"Rayburn said Sanders was nearly impossible to plan for as his team prepared for the state semifinal game because his unique physical tools could be used at virtually any spot on the field — on both sides of the ball," Kosmider wrote in his piece.
For more on the matchup between two of the newest Broncos, click here.
Below the Fold
While the Broncos made five draft selections, acquiring tight end Adam Trautman in a trade with the Saints may have been just as important. Head Coach Sean Payton explained why on Saturday.
