Rams mock draft: Would massive-sized project be left tackle of future?

Should Rams pick Amarius Mims and let him sit for awhile?

When the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine takes place later this month, perhaps nobody will stand taller or weigh more than Amarius Mims. The offensive tackle out of Georgia has not played a lot of college football but could be a first round pick based on his unique frame alone and that’s why The Ringer’s Danny Kelly mocked him to the L.A. Rams at 19 in his latest edition.

The Rams, who haven’t made a pick in the first round since 2016, shoot for massive upside here in Mims. The former Georgia offensive lineman is very raw, with just eight starts to his name, but he brings elite traits that will help him develop into a high-level blocker at the next level.

Kelly says that Mims could go this high because of his size, length, and movement skills, while flashing elite potential in pass protection and run blocking. But that his lack of experience could make him a reach at 19.

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Mims was a five-star prospect in 2021 but was a reserve on the team’s championships seasons in 2021 and 2022. He only started six games at right tackle in 2023 and suffered a high ankle sprain, but never allowed a sack over 402 pass block snaps in his career.

More from Kelly:

Mims is very raw, with just eight career starts. He plays too high at times in the run game, which makes him susceptible to being pushed out of the way by better-leveraged opponents. He leans and lunges when he misses with his hands. He gets top-heavy and bends at the waist if he loses a step on his opponent. He missed several games in 2023 due to a high ankle sprain.

If the Rams draft Mims, he could spend his first offseason and training camp getting acclimated to the NFL and potentially start the season on the bench behind A.J. Jackson and Rob Havenstein. The plan would then be to have Mims ready to take over in 2025 at either position. He certainly has more upside than Jackson and is a lot younger than Havenstein, so this would be more of a move for the future than the present.