In a vacuum, a right tackle is more valuable than a center in today’s game, which is one of the principal reasons we have seen so many mock drafts project Amarius Mims to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite his limited starting experience, he has so much upside that he offers better value than a Zach Frazier.
That’s how the conventional wisdom sees things, but every team has its own values. Once again, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reiterates that the Steelers feel they need an immediate starter on the offensive line in the first round this year—which is why he has cooled on Mims after mocking him to the Steelers himself.
“I don’t think NFL people view the [Graham] Barton center transition as a big risk. The more I think about Mims and what the Steelers need he just doesn’t fit in the first round for them”, he said in his latest chat session. “They need a plug-and-play starter, which is why I mocked Troy Fautanu to them in my final mock draft”.
Fittipaldo in previous chat sessions has suggested that he expects Mims to be the pick. As mentioned, he has posted mock drafts with the Steelers taking him in the first round, as well. At the time, he expressed less concern about Mims potentially needing time to enter the starting lineup. It seems as though in recent days he’s picked up more details about the Steelers’ thinking.
“They need to get starters early and let them play”, he told another chatter. He responded to a question about taking either Mims or Barton, in this instance. “Barton is more qualified to do that than Mims, who only started eight games at Georgia”.
The Steelers drafted an inexperienced offensive tackle in the first round last year in Broderick Jones. He did not enter the starting lineup until the middle of the season, and did not displace Dan Moore Jr. If the Steelers draft Amarius Mims, there is a very real chance they don’t start him for the season opener.
It seems for that reason Fittipaldo no longer believes Mims is a likely option for the Steelers. I don’t know that I personally agree, but I could see Pittsburgh prioritizing an immediate starter. Barton is one of the safest picks in the first round, it seems, even though he hasn’t played much center.
But the thing is, Mims isn’t the only high-end tackle potentially available for the Steelers at 20. Fautanu Taliese Fuaga, or, JC Latham are a few significant names that could be there at that spot. It all depends on how teams feel about other positions in this year’s class. And if a team drafts a center before 20, that’s possibly another tackle that slides down.
