Buy Or Sell: Amarius Mims is too big a risk to take in the first round for the Steelers.
Explanation: The Steelers took a chance on an inexperienced offensive tackle last year in Broderick Jones. If they draft Amarius Mims, they’ll be looking at an even more unrefined lump of clay. Mims may look good in a uniform, but he could take a long time to develop and reach his peak. He has an extremely high ceiling, but how low is his floor?
Buy:
Let’s put it this way: the Steelers cannot afford to screw up another first-round draft pick right now. They’ve only picked up one fifth-year option on their own first-round picks since 2016, and that was for T.J. Watt. They missed on Artie Burns, Terrell Edmunds, Devin Bush, and Kenny Pickett, and Najee Harris is borderline. They can’t add an offensive lineman to that list.
Quite frankly, we’re still waiting to see how good Broderick Jones can be. It’s nice that we can think the world of his potential, but serious analysis of his play last season shows significant deficits that don’t magically disappear by playing on the left side. Amarius Mims is a fresh can of Play-Doh in comparison with respect to molding. He has a world of talent, but he doesn’t know how to use it yet. And do you trust Pat Meyer to show him? It makes more sense to take a virtual sure thing at center instead.
Sell:
Barring some other tackle falling to them at 20, Amarius Mims is the best way the Steelers can improve their offense, realistically, in 2024 and beyond. It may well prove true that he can’t start right away, but they’ll get him on the field. In case you didn’t know, Arthur Smith likes big men who block. Mims is more than agile enough to serve as a tackle-eligible.
He has an injury history, sure, and limited playing experience, but some things are out of your control. Mims played behind other players early in his Georgia career, even considering a transfer. He had to wait for his opportunity, but once he got on the field, he showed his talent.
And talent is what the Steelers need to invest in. Let’s be honest here: Mims can outlast any individual coach. He should be here longer than Pat Meyer or Arthur Smith. Getting their offensive line to its peak is a top priority, and they’ll keep searching for new coaches if they need to.
Mims is a guy who has foundational talent for an offense. If they can hit on both Mims and Jones, both young, extremely talented tackles, they put themselves in great shape. For the next decade.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they likely need a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
