Steelers Make Bold Move by Reuniting Georgia Bulldogs Tackles, Say Multiple Draft Experts

The cornerbacks and Powers-Johnson are reliable picks and are expected to enhance the Steelers’ on-field performance in 2024. Selecting another quarterback at pick 20 appears unlikely. Omar Khan and Andy Weidl have various choices, but it’s likely that they will prioritize securing a pair of rookie tackles from a highly talented pool, as suggested by numerous draft experts. The top tackle prospect, Joe Alt from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, is anticipated to be drafted well before the Steelers’ pick, which is one of the few certainties at this juncture.

There isn’t a definitive consensus regarding the order of the players ranked two through five, but the names of the other four tackles are starting to become clearer. Olumuyiwa Fashanu from Penn State, Taliese Fuaga from Oregon State, JC Latham from Alabama, and Amarius Mims from Georgia are emerging as the remaining top five prospects. ESPN’s Matt Miller suggests that Mims could potentially be selected by the Steelers, pending the resolution of one crucial question.

According to Miller, “For Mims, the most important thing is answering that question. You only started eight games, were 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.”

In a recent mock draft, the Steelers’ first-round selection indicates their continued interest in players from Georgia. Mims played only eight games for Georgia in 2023 due to injury after emerging late in 2022. Paired with Broderick Jones, the duo contributed significantly to the Bulldogs securing a second consecutive National Championship. Mims, who is just 20 years old, has been touted by experts like Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports as a potentially superior prospect to Jones.

Wilson remarked, “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. 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.”