NFL Mock Draft: Buffalo Bills Give Josh Allen Protection with Georgia Bulldogs OT Amarius Mims
The Buffalo Bills aren't among the teams already looking to the 2024 NFL Draft, but that can change very quickly if they're not careful.
At 6-6, Buffalo is already outside the playoff picture heading into their Week 13 bye. That would be bad enough for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, but what makes the situation even more dire is that the Bills' remaining schedule is one of the hardest in the league, with matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys awaiting after their bye. For a team that has underperformed to this point in the season, it will take a great effort to turn it around and make the postseason.
While the Bills themselves may not be looking to the draft, but for draft analysts, it's never too early to start making projections. With this season showing that Buffalo has plenty of holes, there's no shortage of options available in the draft. For The Athletic, though, the choice is to beef up the offensive line by selecting Georgia Bulldogs tackle Amarius Mims at No. 16 overall.
Mims walks out of the tunnel as Georgia prepares for a College Football Playoff game.
"The Bills’ starting offensive tackles, Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, are only under contract for one more season, so the front office might look to draft and develop at the position before it becomes an immediate need," The Athletic wrote. "Mims is still very raw, but he has the traits to grow into one of the best players from this draft class."
Standing at 6-7 and 340 pounds, Mims is a massive presence on the right side of the Bulldogs' line. Despite his massive frame, he still has a good deal of athleticism to make for a great overall skillset.
The two concerns with Mims are due to his experience and injury history. He was primarily a backup in his first two seasons, although he did start in the Bulldogs' final two games last season en route to a national championship. While he earned the starting right tackle job this season, he did miss six games with a high ankle sprain in the middle of the year. He also injured his ankle again in Saturday's SEC Championship Game loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In this mock draft, Mims is the 4th offensive tackle off the board after Notre Dame's Joe Alt (No. 4 overall), Penn State's Olu Fashanu (No. 5) and Alabama's JC Latham (No. 9).
With some noticeable struggles along the offensive line, Mims could turn into a future cornerstone for the Bills up front, even if it takes time.
