Steelers draft crush #4: Amarius Mims
I was all aboard the tackle train last year, having fallen in love with Darnell Wright, Paris Johnson, and eventual Steelers pick Broderick Jones. It was seen as one of the better tackle classes in recent years, but also a shallow draft position. Outside of the top five tackles, the rest of the class was poor.
2024 is shaping to blow that out of the water. Not only is the top-of-the-class star-studded but there are a slew of names in the middle rounds that could develop into capable starters. That said, I have my eye on two tackles in the class, and the lesser of the two, at least slightly, is Amarius Mims.
Mims is a freaky-looking prospect, possessing rare size and athletic traits to be a dominant force at tackle for the long term. Like Jones before him, Mims lacks experience, as he hasn’t started a lot of games. While Jones was viewed as a raw prospect, he is leaps and bounds more of an established technician than Mims is. That raw factor is arguably his biggest liability.
You need to have a set plan for Mims if you draft him, and you also need to give him some easy leeway to give him some time to develop. He won’t be a refined product right away, as he will need to harness his raw traits to become a good starter.
If he hits his ceiling though, he has some of the highest upside in this entire class. He could easily become a dominant right tackle if put in the right system and given some time. There is a risk here, as he isn’t a finished product and can get beaten because of that, but you have to love the what-ifs with him.