No question, this year's crop of offensive linemen is some of the best in recent memory.
With a group of talent this good, there is no reason for the Pittsburgh Steelers not to dip in the pool and get themselves the type of offensive lineman that could help bolster their offense.
The Steelers have concentrated mostly on the offensive line positions of right tackle and center this offseason. At the Combine this past weekend, the team met with several offensive line prospects, and each of them performed admirably during the on-field drills. Yet, there was one lineman who stood above the rest; that person was Georgia's Amarius Mims.
The first thing that stood out were his measurements: 6'8, 340 pounds, with 36 1/8-inch arms. To say the least, Mims is a large human being, further supported by The Draft Network's Ryan Fowler's viral picture of him standing behind average-sized human beings. To say the least, this young man is a giant.
Yet, what defines Mims is his athleticism. There are very few linemen that have come his size, who can move with the speed and fluidity he possesses. In 2023, with the Bulldogs, Mims registered a 81.2 pass-blocking grade on 129 pass-block snaps. You may be thinking, "It's such a small sample size." However, after seeing his tape, a lot of things become clear. His capacity to maintain a low pad level while exploding out of his stance. His ability to move laterally and outmuscle opponents with his inherent power is impressive.
Unfortunately for Mims, his combine was cut short during the 40-yard event, but not after he posted an impressive 5.07 seconds with a 1.78 second split, keeping in mind that he is over 340 pounds.
The only real downside for Mims is the lack of snaps he's had in his career. The concern for many is his injury history, which is essentially one: tightrope surgery on his ankle this past September. Aside from this setback, Mims has been relatively healthy and available to perform.
In all, the Steelers have had great recent success with Georgia Bulldog talent on their roster. Given the possibility that Broderick Jones may return to his natural position at left tackle, it makes sense for his old teammate to take over on the right side and establish this offensive line as a formidable one this season.
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