Denzel Mims Gets Fresh Start with Dallas Renegades in UFL Draft
Denzel Mims is getting another shot at professional football - this time with the Dallas Renegades of the United Football League.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was selected on Day 1 of the 2026 UFL Draft, signaling a new chapter in a career that’s had its fair share of twists and turns. At 28 years old, Mims is no stranger to the highs and lows of life in pro football, and this latest opportunity could be just what he needs to reignite his career.
Mims’ most recent NFL stop came with the Steelers, who brought him in during the 2023 season as a practice squad addition. Pittsburgh liked what they saw enough to sign him to a future/reserve contract for 2024. But after mandatory minicamp wrapped up, the team made the somewhat unexpected decision to release him before he ever played a snap in black and gold.
That move was just the latest in a string of transitions for the former second-round pick. Mims entered the league in 2020 as a highly touted receiver out of Baylor, drafted by the New York Jets. Over three seasons in New York, he appeared in 30 games and recorded 42 receptions for 676 yards - flashes of potential, but never quite the breakout the Jets had hoped for.
In 2023, the Jets traded him to the Detroit Lions for a conditional sixth-round pick. But Mims’ time in Detroit was short-lived - he was waived/injured by the Lions in mid-August, and by October, he had landed with the Steelers.
After Pittsburgh, Mims had a brief stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the summer of 2024, signing on June 20 but getting released just over two months later on August 25. From there, he made his way to the UFL, where he first joined the St. Louis Battlehawks before now being drafted by the Renegades.
For Mims, who hails from Daingerfield, Texas, this move to Dallas is something of a homecoming. He made a name for himself at Baylor from 2016 to 2019, putting up big-time numbers: 186 catches, 2,925 yards, and 28 touchdowns.
His size-speed combo turned heads at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he clocked a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash, leapt 38.5 inches in the vertical, and posted an eye-popping 10-foot-11 broad jump. Add in 16 reps on the bench, and it was easy to see why NFL scouts were so intrigued.
While his NFL journey has been anything but linear, Mims now finds himself with a fresh opportunity to prove he still belongs on the field. The UFL has become a proving ground for players looking to revive or reshape their careers, and for a guy with Mims’ physical tools and pedigree, the door is wide open.
The Renegades are betting on that upside. And if Mims can stay healthy and make the most of his reps, he could be one of the more intriguing names to watch as the UFL season unfolds.