ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- In a league filled with players who had ridiculous statistics on their high school football resumes, Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.’s might be at the top of the pile.

By the time Mims had finished his career at Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas, he was the state's career receiving leader with 5,485 yards. In his final season at Lone Star, Mims finished with 2,629 receiving yards on 117 catches to go with 32 touchdowns. He had seven 200-yard games, one 303-yard game as his team scored at least 40 points in a game 10 times.

Couple that with a 19.5 yards per catch average over his three seasons at the University of Oklahoma and the Broncos quickly reeled in Mims with the 63rd pick of the April -- their first pick of the draft.

The Broncos certainly have big plans for Mims, by both necessity and desire given recent injuries to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and tight end Greg Dulcich. Mims is squarely in the mix in an offense that now desperately needs his speed.

“It’s about going out there and just trusting my preparation, my technique,’’ Mims said. “I’ve said, you get to this league and you discover pretty early on, everybody is smart, everybody is prepared, everybody has looked at what you do. That’s a lot different than college, but it’s part of growing as a pro.’’

The Broncos’ roster of pass catchers has felt the sting of bad fortune to this point. Wide receiver KJ Hamler isn't on the roster after being diagnosed with a heart condition before training camp. Wide receiver Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in the first week of training camp, Jeudy continues to work back from a hamstring injury he suffered as camp drew to a close and Dulcich suffered a hamstring injury Sunday in the Broncos’ Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Jeudy has not yet practiced fully and Dulcich is expected to miss several games.

That puts Mims in a position to get far more snaps than any ramp-up plan the Broncos may have had for him before the injuries hit. He played 17 snaps at wide receiver Sunday, finishing with two receptions for nine yards, but he came within an eyelash of returning the second-half kickoff for a touchdown, tripped up by Raiders safety Roderic Teamer at the last moment with nothing but open real estate in front of him.

“You can see what he can do,’’ said Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton. “ … No question, he’s coming along fast.’’

Given the state of the Broncos’ injury report, he will have to. The Broncos had to elevate two wide receivers -- Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Phillip Dorsett -- from the practice squad for Sunday’s game just to fill out the depth chart.

Humphrey, who played for Broncos coach Sean Payton in New Orleans, ended up playing the second-most snaps among wide receivers in the game: 45, second only to Sutton’s 55. Brandon Johnson, who joined the Broncos last season as an undrafted rookie also played 32 snaps.

But what the Broncos need the most from Mims is big plays.

Mims' 19.5 yards per catch average over 37 games and 123 receptions with the Sooners was among the best of any wide receiver on the draft board.

“I’ve always tried to really prepare so I know what I’m seeing [from a defense] when I line up,’’ Mims said. “I want to make sure I’m using whatever I can to help our offense. [Patrick] has been like a big brother to me here, learning, but I want to bring whatever I can, put in the work as much as I can to be reliable.’’

Mims ran a 4.38 (electronically timed) 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, one of the best among skill players in Indianapolis. Payton and the Broncos have talked about Mims being a quick study who can turn information into action on the field.

The Broncos also saw the Raiders give their offense a steady diet of zone coverages Sunday that kept the Broncos away from the big play for much of the afternoon -- the Broncos’ longest pass play was a 21-yard catch-and-run by Johnson and Wilson averaged just 6.6 yards per completion in the game.

“Obviously, the thing offensively that stood out is there weren’t any [explosive plays]," Payton said Monday. “ … Certainly, you miss Jerry and you miss Greg. The other thing, we got a little bit more -- a lot more -- soft zone coverage ... You’re waiting for the down safety looks, you’re waiting for the opportunities that maybe provide you those chances down the field, but I would say a little bit more shell [coverage] than expected and force the throws to come underneath.’’

The only thing that has slowed Mims down to this point has been separate hamstring injuries, the first in the offseason program, the second early in training camp.

“I think the jump is that he’s healthy,’’ said Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi of Mims’ surge as the preseason drew to a close. “ … Since he’s been back, he’s impressed me with the consistency with his effort. He’s a fast guy who’s always fast. Sometimes they burn out, you don’t feel like they’re able to maintain that speed play after play. He’s been very consistent, impressive with his speed.’’

As the Broncos prepare to host the Washington Commanders for Week 2 on Sunday (4:25 p.m., CBS), maybe Mims is ready for his breakout moment.

“You want to take everything in and then apply to what you see in a game as quickly as possible,’’ Mims said. “I want to be ready, take everything in and apply to the game as fast as possible.’’