If you follow mock drafts — and there are plenty of them this time of year — you’ve seen the name Amarius Mims early and often. Some analysts, like ESPN’s Matt Miller, have him going to the Pittsburgh Steelers at pick No. 20 of the 2024 NFL draft.
What is it about Mims, the offensive tackle with only eight starts in his collegiate career at Georgia?
“With Mims, it’s more about the upside,” Miller told Steelers Wire. “What makes you excited about him is those eight starts are as good as any lineman in his class.”
Pair him with former Bulldogs teammate Broderick Jones, and you’ve got a couple of physical, athletic linemen. Move Jones back to left tackle and put Mims on the right. The two can clear lanes for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren while protecting Kenny Pickett (or Russell Wilson or Jimmy Garoppolo).
And what’s even better is that, at age 20, Mims has limited wear and tear. His history, or lack thereof, at Georgia is a bit misleading. The Bulldogs put together one of the best offensive lines in the country. They were stacked, and Mims was the odd man out.
“As soon as he got his turn, late in 2022, he was amazing,” Miller said. “And then, unfortunately, he got hurt this year.”
Mims suffered a high ankle sprain midway through the 2023 season and underwent tightrope surgery, the same procedure Pickett had in December.
The key for Mims and a select group of other NFL hopefuls is how they fare at next week’s scouting combine in Indianapolis.
“For Mims, the most important thing is answering that question,” said Miller. “You only started eight games; where are you coming back from injury?”
“I think that’s the story he needs to tell: I was a great teammate, I waited my turn and when I got my opportunity, I played as well as anyone in the country. He came back from the injury instead of just opting out and saying he’ll sit it out until he goes to the NFL. That’s what I would be trying to tell everyone in those 15-minute speed-dating interviews they get next week.”
