Getty NFL.com's Lance Zierlein predicted Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers to select Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims in the first round.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones during the 2023 NFL draft. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein is one of the draft analysts that has predicted history to repeat itself in 2024 with Amarius Mims.
In his mock draft released on February 5, Zierlein slotted Mims, who is also a Georgia offensive tackle, to the Steelers at No. 20 overall.
“Mims is a high-end talent and has the body type for his position that teams covet,” Zierlein wrote. “Pairing him with fellow former Georgia Bulldog Broderick Jones could be a home run decision.”
Mims and Jones started on the same offensive line at Georgia in the program’s two College Football Playoff games during the 2022 season. Jones anchored left tackle while Jones started at right tackle.
Georgia won their second straight national championship in 2022.
How Amarius Mims Could Fit With the Steelers
Zierlein is hardly the first draft analyst to connect the Steelers to Mims. Pro Football Network’s Dalton Miller predicted the Steelers to target the Georgia offensive tackle in the first round on December 9.
“Reuniting Amarius Mims and Broderick Jones won’t necessarily save Kenny Pickett’s career, but it will give the Steelers a clearer picture of whether they can build a unit around Pickett that can help fix his current issues,” wrote Miller.
“Playing beside [veteran guard] James Daniels could help with his developmental curve as well.”
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, Mims is a huge prospect even for offensive tackle. The Bleacher Report NFL scouting department listed his size as 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds.
Jones didn’t become a regular starter for the Steelers until Week 9. But Pro Football Focus ranked him one of the better rookie offensive tackles in the league at the end of the season.
If the Steelers drafted Jones’ former college teammate, they could be set at offensive tackle for the foreseeable future.
ESPN’s Matt Miller released a new mock draft on February 5 and also had the Steelers targeting Mims at No. 20 overall.
“Mims started only eight games in college because of injury and the great depth on the Bulldogs’ offensive line, but scouts were raving about his tape throughout the season,” Miller wrote. “There isn’t a better mover at tackle in the class, and he backs that up with 330 pounds of power.”
Will Broderick Jones Stay at Right Tackle?
The big question with the possibility of the Steelers drafting Mims is whether or not Jones will remain at right tackle.
The Steelers traded up three spots to No. 14 last year with the intention of Jones being the franchise’s starting left tackle for a decade. But head coach Mike Tomlin explained to reporters in early November that Jones began starting at right tackle because he was much better on the opposite side than Dan Moore Jr.
Meanwhile, Moore continued starting at left tackle.
To switch Jones back to left tackle, the Steelers would be moving Moore to the bench. So, to do such a move, they would have to be confident the offensive line will be better overall with Jones at left tackle and someone else at right tackle.
Drafting Mims could present that option. It also could allow the Steelers to save salary cap space by releasing Moore and/or Chukwuma Okorafor.
Pittsburgh could benefit by keeping Moore as depth behind their young tackles. But the Steelers would save roughly $8.75 million by cutting Okorafor and an additional $1 million by releasing Moore.