The Cincinnati Bengals might have something special with offensive tackle Amarius Mims.
Mims, the team’s first-round pick this year, might have won the starting job at right tackle in training camp outright had he not suffered a pec injury.
Then, a season-ending injury to veteran Trent Brown forced Mims back into the lineup during a primetime loss on short notice, before he took over full-blown starting duties in the Week 4 win over Carolina.
While Mims isn’t blowing away the grading scales right now (he’s got a 49.9 at Pro Football Focus over a limited number of snaps), the film shows some impressive clips.
One example comes via The 33rd Team’s James Foster, who shared a rep of Mims looking great against Jadeveon Clowney:
Amarius Mims vs. Jadeveon Clowney pic.twitter.com/8cVsZVxk1S
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) September 30, 2024
Everything is a small sample size when it comes to Mims right now. But the fact there are impressive reps and no glaring, game-ruining mistakes is a good sign of progress — for a 21-year-old rookie in his first full start.
The fact Mims is undergoing his trial by fire in a solid manner like this already, paired with his upside, suggests big things for the future as the Bengals hope to keep this sneaky-great offensive line play from the unit going.
