The Pittsburgh Steelers have already been linked to multiple prospects in the furious flurry of mock drafts appearing all over the internet. Mid-tier quarterbacks like Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. are very popular with the replacement of Kenny Pickett at all costs crowd. Elite cornerback prospects like Nate Wiggins and Kool-Aid McKinstry are intriguing options that the fan base often chooses in the first round of their simulations. Many others turn to the best center prospect, Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan (left) and Head Coach Mike Tomlin (right) sit in the franchise's draft room anxiously watching the board during the 2023 NFL Draft.
The cornerbacks and Powers-Johnson are solid choices and would improve the Steelers' on-field product in 2024. Drafting another quarterback at pick 20 seems like a long shot. Omar Khan and Andy Weidl have options, but there is a good chance that the dynamic duo will look to complete a set of bookend tackles on rookie deals in a very deep class, according to multiple draft experts. The best tackle in the class, Joe Alt from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, will be long gone before the Steelers pick, which seems to be the only thing that is certain at this point.
Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports
Steelers' potential first-round solution at right tackle is Amarius Mims.
There is no solid consensus on the order of who will go two through five, but the names of the other four tackles are falling into place. Olumuyiwa Fashanu from Penn State, Taliese Fuaga from Oregon State, JC Latham from Alabama, and Amarius Mims from Georgia are the four names filling out the remainder of the top five prospects. ESPN's Matt Miller has the Bulldogs tackle going to the Steelers, pending the answer to one crucial question.
“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.”
Steelers' First Round Selection In New Mock Draft Proves Georgia Is Still On Their Minds
Mims was injured and only played eight games for Georgia in 2023 after coming on late in 2022. He was paired with Broderick Jones, and the combination helped the Bulldogs secure a second consecutive National Championship. Mims is only 20 years old and, according to some experts like Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports, could be an even better prospect than Jones. Wilson joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller on Tuesday to share his thoughts on Mims with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller.
"If Broderick Jones' teammate, Amarius Mims, is there [at] 20, and the only reason he would be there is because he's battled some injuries, he's better than Broderick coming out," said Wilson. He's bigger, he's stronger, he's probably more fleet of foot. Broderick checks all those boxes and then some, and Broderick was raw coming out of Georgia as well. Amarius is a special kind of freakish athlete; he's a right tackle, and that's all he played in college. The idea of him bookended with Broderick would probably make whoever the quarterback is probably feel a lot better."
Pittsburgh hampered Jones' growth during his inaugural season by playing him at right tackle. The rookie did get one start at left tackle against the Baltimore Ravens in their first matchup and played well. According to Mike Tomlin, Dan Moore Jr. was so bad at right tackle that they could not play him there, so the more versatile Jones was forced to move after the benching of Chukwuma Okorafor.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' 2023 first-round pick, Broderick Jones made his first career start at right tackle to help spark some life into Pittsburgh's offense in Week 9.
The Steelers' offensive line improved in 2023 after hitting rock bottom in Ben Roethlisberger's final season in 2021. Pittsburgh now has two solid starters, with Jones and Isaac Seumalo. James Daniels is serviceable at right guard, but Moore and Mason Cole must be replaced in 2024 to give Arthur Smith's offense the best chance to work. If Mims is a better prospect than his former Georgia teammate and his natural position is right tackle, it will be hard for Khan and Weidl to pass him by in April.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is a set of bookend tackles what the Steelers need to compete in 2024 and beyond? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
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