There’s no bigger name in the draft coverage world than Mel Kiper. An entire industry exists because of him popularizing the draft analyst role. The ESPN stalwart has been covering the NFL draft for decades, and has forged relationships with several front office members, scouts and agents throughout the years.
In his latest mock draft for 2024, Kiper has updated things quite a bit. Kiper is not predicting any trades just yet, and has quarterbacks going with the first three selections. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye come off the board in that order to Chicago, Washington and New England. Kiper also thinks the first round will be heavy on offensive linemen, including the Dallas Cowboys’ selection of a Georgia player at No. 24.
24. Dallas Cowboys Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Mims has even fewer college starts than Guyton, as he was limited to just eight over the past three seasons because of injuries and draft picks in front of him on the Bulldogs’ depth chart. But when he did play, he made defenders look silly. Mims, 6-7 and 340, allowed zero sacks and just five total pressures across 372 career pass blocks. Will NFL teams be scared off by his limited experience, or will they draft him high based on his size and potential? I lean toward the latter, because he was that good when he got on the field.
To make room for Mims, the Cowboys could part ways with longtime left tackle Tyron Smith, who’s a free agent, or have him compete with Terence Steel on the right side. He played right tackle in college but has the talent to play both sides.
Off the board
There were seven offensive linemen selected before Dallas was on the clock in Kiper’s mock.
- 5. Los Angeles Chargers: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
- 7. Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
- 14. New Orleans Saints: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
- 16. Seattle Seahawks: Troy Fautanu, G, Washington
- 18. Cincinnati Bengals: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
- 21. Miami Dolphins: Graham Barton, C, Duke
- 23. Houston Texans (via CLE): Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
Arizona tackle Jordan Morgan was the ninth and final OL selected in Kiper’s first round, going No. 25 to the Green Bay Packers.
Cowboys Nation’s favorite slides to 2nd Round
Missing from Kiper’s first round entirely is the player who has been the focus of Dallas’ draftniks, Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson. JPJ is one of three players seen as lining up at center on Day 1 and being an immediate improvement over current free agent Tyler Biadasz.
Graham Barton of Duke went at No. 21 and Zach Frazier of West Virginia are the other two thought to be in demand at Dallas’ big position of need. Perhaps one of them could slide to Dallas’ second round pick, allowing for a rare double-dip at the offensive line position.
Mims Scouting Reports
Size:
Height: 6’7” | Weight: 340 lbs
Accomplishments:
5-star recruit
“Amarius Mims checks the height, weight, and arm length boxes for a potential franchise OT.”
Strengths:
- Athletic ability
- Outstanding functional strength
- Lateral agility and movement skills
- High upside
Concerns:
- Limited playing experience
- Stopping feet during blocks
- Two-handed puncher
From NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
Talented tackle prospect carrying a picturesque frame and exciting NFL traits. Mims plays with pretty good technique and is ahead of the game with hand placement. He has the size and bend to create movement and adequate athleticism to make blocks on the move, although he can be inconsistent in that area. He uses a two-hand punch that causes him to lunge forward a bit, but that should be correctable. It is very rare to see him clearly beaten by a rusher, and he has the recovery talent to do something about it when it happens. Mims has more development to go, but he’s a Day 1 prospect with the traits and talent to be considered at either tackle position. He has a high ceiling, but questions due to his lack of experience could temper early expectations.
