Amarius Mims draft projection: 3 best NFL landing spots for Georgia star

Amarius Mims is not someone people first think of when the subject of 2024 NFL Draft prospects comes up.

Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Marvin Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers and Brock Bowers are the most highly touted names in the class and not without good reason. They were the ones directly responsible for winning their schools' games by scoring touchdowns and points.

However, what no one remembers is that such successes started in the trenches, with offensive linemen keeping pass rushers at bay. That's why someone like Mims is a very valuable commodity to whoever gets him, but which teams are the frontrunners?

Amarius Mims' draft profile in the spotlight

One can consider Amarius Mims a proud Georgia boy. Born in Cochran, he attended Blekley County High School, where he was rated as a five-star recruit. Consequently, his choice of college was relatively simple: Georgia.

There, he won consecutive national titles with the Bulldogs, with his main role being to protect Stetson Bennett (and later Carson Beck), allowing each quarterback to feed tight end Brock Bowers. He also had a secondary role of creating lanes for James Cook, and Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton later.

At six-foot-seven and 340 pounds, Mims has more than enough size to contain some of the best defenders. He can also occasionally prove agile enough to obstruct defensive backs when they attempt to prevent massive gains in yardage.

As things stand, Mims comes in at #19 on Tony Pauline's big board of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Pauline also has him rated as the fourth-best OL prospect in this class.

Amarius Mims draft projection: Best fits for Georgia OT

3] Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals need to replace DJ Humphries.

DJ Humphries has been one of the most loyal members of the Arizona Cardinals since 2015, when he was drafted 24th overall out of Florida. However, injuries have conspired to rob him of his form. Sophomore coach/general manager tandem Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort are not exactly pleased.

Is Amarius Mims the answer? The Cardinals have Paris Johnson, but another big body would not be a bad idea. After all, Kyler Murray (assuming he sticks around) needs better protection, while James Conner needs better routemaking.

2] New York Giants

Daniel Jones needs better protection.

The New York Giants' 2023 downfall can be largely attributed to the offensive line's inability to protect Daniel Jones. The unit allowed a league-high 85 sacks. That's something stat coach Brian Daboll wants to reduce, but general manager Joe Schoen has to nail his pick.

Mims may be the man the Giants need. He has proven himself an elite player - both with his on-field talent and intangibles, including a winning mindset the organization has been largely lacking since Eli Manning left.

1] Washington Commanders

Adam Peters will be wise to invest in pretection for whichever quarterback he chooses.

The Washington Commanders have the second overall pick. They are expected to choose a new starting quarterback and have a swathe of possibilities - Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix.

However, they also need to invest in a new quarterback by getting an elite protector like Mims. In 2023, the Commanders were sacked 65 times; and their offensive line was at best mediocre.

Mims could help with that. Whomever he pairs up with could be assured to flourish with him, while Brian Robinson Jr. would find route running easier with his mid-lane blocking.