Quinn Priester makes MLB return Former top prospect called up to majors following injury to Marco Gonzales The Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation to start the year he been a welcome surprise. Between Martin Perez holding a 2.55 earned run average (ERA) and Jared Jones setting the baseball world on fire to start his career, the rotation has kept them in most games this season. After Marco Gonzales landed on the injured list because of a left forearm muscle strain, Quinn Priester will be the next man up to continue the success. Priester’s first major league stint was not what Pirates’ fans had been hoping for. The former top prospect had lost some of his velocity and his good breaking stuff was not enough to make up for a fastball that was too hittable. The strikeouts were also not enough to make up for how hard he was getting hit in 2023. Albeit in a small sample size, Priester may be on the verge of a resurgence after working on those problems. After being drafted at ...
University of Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims has the
size, athleticism and talent to shore up the Steelers’ right side for years to come
By Aidan Treu
The University of Georgia's Amarius Mims should be in strong consideration for the Steelers at pick 20 come April 25.
The 6’7”, 340-pound monster guarding the edge is the physical prototype of a dominant force in a zone running scheme.
His lateral quickness is raved about, both in the run game and when covering stunts in the pass rush. Despite being taller and heavier than many other offensive tackles, he excels at working edge rushers upfield to maintain a clean pocket and allow for his quarterback to make comfortable throws.
Mims has little to no wasted weight. His size allows for him to compete physically with larger edge rushers and overpower undersized ones, although he has been vulnerable to inside pass-rush moves.
As a very tall player, he can at times play too tall and allow for edge defenders to get leverage, making his blocks less effective. The combination of playing too tall and lunging could lead to some problems, nothing that cannot be worked around though, especially given his power.
His long and strong arms are a powerful asset, but at times he can be too reliant on them. He needs to develop pass sets that will not lead to lunging and leaving himself exposed against certain pass rush moves, like ghost rushes or some counters.
If the former Bulldog is able to use his hands independently in an effective and consistent fashion at the NFL level, he could be a huge problem for pass rushers. When he latches on, his power is evident, and his successful blocks are obvious.
The biggest drawbacks to Mims stem from his injury history and subsequent lack of playing time. He doesn’t have a full season as a starter and his ankle injury this past season is still a concern.
The connections to Pittsburgh are quickly clear. The Steelers have a chance to bring in an athletic, albeit in need of pass-blocking nuance, offensive tackle from Georgia. They showed a year ago they were on board with the idea and no signs point at hesitancy to do it again.
Broderick Jones was impressive in his first year. The run game especially was noticeably better with him in the lineup.
Drafting Mims gives the Steelers the opportunity to double down on that improvement. With Mims being a primary right tackle, it also allows Jones to move back to left tackle, his natural position and where he looked best in 2023.
Pittsburgh, in need of a center, may be looking at Sedrick Van Pran, also out of Georgia. When in doubt, why not look toward the best college football team in recent years to upgrade 3/5 of your offensive line?
Mims, Jones, Van Pran, George Pickens and Darnell Washington all being on the same offense could be a fun storyline for a long time, if the draft unfolds that way.
Would love this to happen, that offensive line you are imagining would be a dream scenario for Najee and Jaylen and be the precise recipe Kenny needs to develop into a successful QB.
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