Daniel Jeremiah Tabs Two Ideal Picks for Steelers in First Two Rounds
NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently appeared on Path to the Draft and tabbed two SEC products as ideal picks for the Pittsburgh Steelers at 20th and 51st overall. They are none other than Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims and Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall Jr. Both prospects have been heavily linked to the Steelers and have conducted pre-draft visits at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan declared at the NFL Combine that the plan is ultimately to move Broderick Jones to his natural position at left tackle. Jeremiah thinks Pittsburgh would be better suited with Mims on the left side and keep Jones at right tackle.
“Go back to Georgia and get Amarius Mims, so now you’ve recreated the bookends here at Georgia,” Jeremiah said. “I think Amarius Mims is gonna be the left tackle. I would keep Broderick Jones on that right side, where he adjusted as the season went along and played quite well. But Amarius Mims is a mountain of a human being at almost 6-8. He’s 340 pounds and can really move.”
Mims is certainly an intriguing prospect with his massive size and extreme athleticism. The one big knock with him is his lack of experience, however. He started just eight games in college.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic likes Mims’ upside, but if he needed a tackle tomorrow, he’s passing on him in the top 20.
“I think he’s more inexperienced than he is truly raw because I think there’s a lot of natural ability there. It’s just, but again, it does take a leap of faith when you’re talking about a guy with eight starts. But just the fact when you throw on the Ohio State game from last year and his first career start ever, and he was that good. I can’t eliminate that from my mind. And it’s like, okay, I want to bet on this in the right situation. If I need a tackle tomorrow, I’m not drafting him top 20,” Brugler said on The Athletic NFL podcast.
The Steelers have a large need at wide receiver after free agency since they traded Diontae Johnson to Carolina. A first round selection is certainly possible, but this year’s draft is loaded at the receiver position. The second and third round has been a sweet spot for the Steelers at receiver for years. Pearsall would definitely fit the bill at 51st overall.
“Let’s go with Ricky Pearsall from the University of Florida,” Jeremiah said. “An outstanding route runner. He can separate, he can win at the line of scrimmage. He has the best hands, reliable hands, a dependable player.”
Pearsall has a deeper interest from the Steelers other than the pre-draft visit, according to Dane Brugler of the Athletic. Brugler noted on The Athletic Football Show that Pearsall met with the team multiple times throughout the process and that they appear fascinated with him. That is notable coming from Brugler, and it seems Pearsall is firmly on the Steelers radar.
Pearsall had an impressive performance at the NFL Combine, recording a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash and a 42-inch vertical.
Pearsall transferred to Florida from Arizona State in 2022. In his two seasons as a Florida Gator, he recorded 98 receptions for 1,626 yards (16.6 average) and nine touchdowns. At Arizona State, he caught 61 passes for 794 yards (13.0 average) and five touchdowns.
Overall, Pearsall is a vertical slot receiver that has nice speed and ball skills. Florida often deployed him from the slot and put him in motion. His pro comp is Kenny Stills.
“Pearsall’s toughness, sure hands and blocking ability give him a trustworthy floor,” Derrick Bell of Steelers Now wrote in his scouting report on Pearsall. “It’s fair to acknowledge that other receivers in the class might have more potential but this is a player that’s ready to come in and contribute right away. It’s true that this receiver class is loaded, both at the top and from a depth standpoint, which could cause him to fall further than he would in a normal cycle. If the Steelers can plug some of their other holes prior to draft weekend, spending a mid-round pick on Pearsall makes a ton of sense and could prove wise very quickly.”
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