The Pittsburgh Steelers have frequently been linked to Georgia OT Amarius Mims with their pick at No. 20 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. In his latest mock draft for NFL.com, Bucky Brooks has the Steelers taking Mims at 20 and pairing him with his former teammate in Broderick Jones.
“The extra, extra-large edge blocker (6-8, 340 pounds) would help the Steelers control the trenches as they transition to a ground-and-pound squad under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith,” Brooks writes.
The big knock on Mims is his lack of collegiate experience, as he started just eight games for Georgia. However, his first two starts came in the College Football Playoff semifinal and final in 2022, and then he started six games in 2023. He played right tackle at Georgia, which would make his fit there seamless as the Steelers could then move Jones back to his natural left tackle spot. Jones cracked the starting lineup at right tackle in Week 9, and though he improved the Pittsburgh rushing attack, he struggled a little bit as a pass blocker while playing out of position. A move back to left tackle would hopefully help him blossom.
The Steelers are reportedly showing a “ton” of interest in Mims, and if the team does target a tackle early, his size that Brooks noted coupled with the fact that he’s a right tackle, really athletic for his size, and likely available around Pittsburgh’s pick at No. 20 make him a good option if that’s the route they go. Of course, the Steelers also have needs at cornerback, center and wide receiver, and the team might opt to fill those before addressing tackle and replacing Dan Moore Jr.
But in a tackle class with a lot of top-end talent, it might be difficult for the Steelers to pass on taking someone like Mims. He said at the NFL Scouting Combine this year that Jones was a huge help in getting him ready for the college game. He could do the same at the NFL level as the two would look to form bookend tackles for years to come in Pittsburgh.
There are a number of avenues the Steelers can go in the draft, and offensive tackle in the first round is an outcome that makes a lot of sense, and the fact Mims is a Georgia guy and can play right tackle definitely should make him intriguing to the Steelers. Pittsburgh had a ton of personnel at the Georgia Pro Day, and Mims should certainly be circled as a name to watch as the draft approaches.
