Picking the best Round 1 draft target for the San Francisco 49ers after the 2024 NFL Combine
The 2024 NFL Combine is over and done with, and following events in Indianapolis, there are likely to be plenty of changes to the mock drafts and big boards put together by pundits. Teams, however, rarely make drastic changes to their boards based off the workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The interviews have more of […]
The 2024 NFL Combine is over and done with, and following events in Indianapolis, there are likely to be plenty of changes to the mock drafts and big boards put together by pundits.
Teams, however, rarely make drastic changes to their boards based off the workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The interviews have more of an impact on their impression of prospects, and the San Francisco 49ers held meetings with a host of players across several positions during the week, covering a lot of bases for a team that has needs at multiple spots despite the loaded nature of its roster.
So after putting prospects through their paces in the interview room and watching them go through the physical testing and on-field drills, did anything change for the Niners as they ponder what to do with the 31st overall pick in the first round?
The 49ers need to select Georgia OT Amarius Mims in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft
Mims' workout was highly anticipated given the tantalizing promise he displayed during his brief time on the field with Georgia.
He displayed tremendous upside as a pass protector but, with only eight career starts to his name and a recent history of ankle issues, there are plenty of question-marks about Mims, some of which he was hoping to remove by going through the entirety of the testing and on-field drills at the Combine.
However, he was unable to complete the workout after pulling up with a hamstring injury on his second run of the 40-yard dash.
Another injury, albeit a minor one, would appear to damage his hopes of going in the first round. Yet the focus should not be on that misfortune, but on what Mims did prior to it.
The 49ers had a formal meeting with Mims and, after witnessing his performance in the athletic testing before his injury, should be even more compelled to take a big swing and make him their long-term starting right tackle.
Mims' remarkable wheels
Though Mims was unable to finish his workout, he still produced an astonishing demonstration of athleticism for a man of his size. After measuring in at 6ft 7in and 340 pounds with arms over 36in long, Mims surged down the 40-yard dash track in 5.07 seconds, including a 1.78 10-yard split. Prior to that, he demonstrated his explosiveness with a broad jump of 9ft 3in.
Mims may have pulled up on his second run, but his efforts on his first 40 should help to allay any concerns the 49ers may have had about his athletic abilities in open space. He is need of refinement as a run blocker in the open field, but there should be now be no doubting his movement skills.
When you pair what Mims did during his unfortunately brief showcase in Indianapolis with his game tape, it's difficult to dispute that he is a prospect worthy of a first-round gamble, especially with a pick as late as that of the 49ers.
Mims often resembles a brick wall on wheels in pass protection. He is extremely quick out of his stance and demonstrates smooth and controlled footwork. Mims gets square with edge rushers in a hurry, with his long arms allowing him to consistently beat them to the punch. When he locks his hands on, that is frequently the end of the battle. Mims plays with a wide base to help him drop the anchor and shut down his opponent.
What also helps Mims quickly stop pass rushers in their tracks is the power he has in his hands. Mims can deliver hard strikes on defenders and shows fearsome shock in his hands when doing so, with his performance in Georgia's win over Tennessee an exhibition of his talents in that regard.
Mims does a superb job of keeping his head on a swivel, his awareness and his lateral quickness helping him excel at picking up stunts. For a player of such inexperience, it is startling how in control Mims looked for the Bulldogs last season. Rarely was a sense of panic evident on tape and, when he did lose out to a pass rusher, Mims demonstrated the ability to recover.
Instances where Mims displayed anything akin to panic came on plays when he played with too much forward lean, while his game against Tennessee also saw him occasionally overset and give pass rushers a window to win attacking his inside shoulder.
In the run game Mims uses power to displace defenders and move them off the ball with ease. Though he will need tutelage to turn into an effective run blocker on the outside zone plays that are a staple of the 49er offense, the odds of him taking the necessary strides in that area would be improved by the mentors he will have if San Francisco picks him.
The Trent Williams factor
It's easy to feel a lot more comfortable about taking an offensive lineman with so little college experience when you have a mentor of the caliber of future Hall of Famer Trent Williams.
The All-Pro left tackle has taken several of the younger 49ers offensive linemen under his wing, and San Francisco will undoubtedly steer Mims in that direction if they select him.
One of the finest offensive line athletes the NFL has ever seen, Williams' wisdom could be particularly key in helping Mims improve as a blocker in space.
And Mims would be a very attentive pupil.
Speaking at the Combine, Mims detailed his admiration for 11-time Pro Bowler Williams.
"I met with the 49ers, that was one of my last visits on day two," Mims said.
"It would mean a lot to be in a room with Trent Williams, learning from a guy like that, in my opinion the best tackle in the NFL, I would love to learn from him."
With Williams, and ultra-experienced offensive line coach Chris Foerster, Mims would have an excellent support system. It's a pick that might make many nervous, but San Francisco would be one of the best spots in the league for Mims to land.
Final Word
Plotting where Mims will go in the first round of a draft that features a tremendous class of tackles is a very difficult task.
He's very inexperienced and has a checkered injury history that grew more extensive at the Combine. However, even in a class as strong as this one, there is arguably no tackle in the draft with the same ceiling.
The 49ers are in clear need of a premier pass protector on the right side after seeing that flank of its offensive line essentially doom them to defeat in Super Bowl 58 last month.
Mims was just that in his brief college career and has the potential to get substantially better, particularly in the run game. It's a big risk but, for a team expected to be aggressive again this offseason as the Niners attempt to get back to the Super Bowl and finish the job, it's undoubtedly one worth taking.
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He would be a great solution.
