NFL draft: 49ers may now need to trade up to get popular mock draft selection

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Amarius Mims (65) and offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A popular mock draft selection for the 49ers early in the NFL draft process was Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims. After the combine it’s hard to imagine Mims will continue sliding all the way to No. 31 in Round 1 projections.

Mims’ athleticism was already apparent on tape. He can flat-out move, which is a big reason he was projected to go in the first round despite playing just 803 snaps in three seasons with the Bulldogs.

At the combine he turned in a sensational showing where he 6-8, 340 pounds and tested perhaps even better than teams might have expected. According to Kent Lee Platte, who created Relative Athletic Score, Mims’ athleticism at his position isn’t super easy to find:

Amarius Mims is a OT prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.53 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 62 out of 1306 OT from 1987 to 2024.

Splits projectedhttps://t.co/dfLN9i8JN1 pic.twitter.com/qsIJ7SrlTv

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 3, 2024

Here’s another explanation of the absurdity of Mims’ athleticism from Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema:

Let me try to explain how insane this is.

Only seven offensive linemen since 1999 have recorded a faster short shuttle at the Combine. The heaviest of them was 304 pounds.

Only one other OL 330 or bigger even recorded a SS below 4.5 (Ryan Diem 4.46 in 2001) https://t.co/ykdoyul0af

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 3, 2024

Players with Mims’ size, tape and testing numbers don’t typically make it all the way to the end of the first round and his stock could still be climbing.

If the 49ers have circled Mims as a player they want to bring in, they may need to move up in the draft given how well the pre-draft process and combine have gone for him.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL draft: 49ers may now need to trade up to get popular mock draft selection