In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers moved up in the first round to pick OT Broderick Jones from the University of Georgia. Jones played left tackle at Georgia and even started his first NFL game at the position in Week 5, but he took over as the starting right tackle in Week 8 and stayed there the rest of the season. However, starting LT Dan Moore Jr. struggled throughout 2023. That means the Steelers still likely need to address the position. Enter Amarius Mims.
NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks released his latest mock draft on Tuesday, and he paired Mims with the Steelers at No. 20 overall.
“A commitment to retool the offense could prompt the Steelers to add a massive front-line blocker to the lineup,” Brooks wrote. “Mims’ size, athleticism and movement skills make him an enticing upside pick for a team that excels in player development.”
Emphasis on the upside pick here with Mims. As Steelers Depot’s own Alex Kozora wrote in his scouting report on Mims, we’re dealing with a small sample size. However, what we do know is that Mims is a massive human being. He can bury defenders in the run game while simply absorbing bull rushers in pass protection. He also has the athleticism and feet to help keep pass rushers wide and push them deep past the quarterback.
Lack of experience is Mims’ biggest issue. He only started eight career games for Georgia. He was the starter to begin 2023 but suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for six weeks. He also only logged 803 career snaps at Georgia. It would be a gamble picking him in the first round, but the talent and size are undeniable when he is on the field.
So would Mims replace Moore? Not directly himself. Mims played right tackle at Georgia, which would mean the Steelers would flip Jones back to his natural position. It would be a massive stretch to see two offensive tackles not at their natural positions, especially one who is a developmental guy.
What makes this interesting is that Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that the Steelers have their starting offensive tackles on the roster already. That was not well received by Steelers fans as Moore was an extreme liability in pass protection in 2023. The Steelers are trying to get their offense on track, as Brooks said. Having a massive weakness at left tackle does not help that.
