Why (And How) Amarius Mims Will Boom Instead Of Bust
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The narrative surrounding Amarius Mims in the 2024 NFL Draft was that he was a boom-or-bust prospect. The 6-foot-8 tackle has all the raw potential in the world and his athleticism made him one of the most physically gifted prospects in the entire draft. However, he was seen as a fairly inexperienced prospect, with just eight career starts and 706 career snaps. This was, in part, because he dealt with nagging ankle and hamstring injuries over the last couple years.
None of those potential red flags stopped the Bengals from selecting him in the first round of the draft.
***EXCITED NOISES*** Amarius Mims receives THE CALL from Coach.@IEL_LLC | šŗ: 2024 Draft on ESPN/ABC/NFLN pic.twitter.com/om2niUxopf
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) April 26, 2024
Mims made it clear from the very beginning that Cincinnati was a desired destination. In a pre-draft interview, he said of Joe Burrow, “He was a dawg.ā Once that goal became a reality, Mims doubled down.
“It’s just wild,ā Mims said. āJust watching Joe Burrow at LSU I was like, ‘Oh my god. I would love to block for him one day,’ and now that I have the chance to, it’s a blessing. I just look forward to getting in and talking to him. It’s almost like a little kid, getting to be around somebody you look up to at quarterback and say, ‘You’re one of those guys in college for me who I’d love to play with and block for.'”
Even with the limited starting experience, the Bengals saw who he went up against in his career at Georgia and decided they couldnāt pass up the opportunity to draft a potential gem in Mims.
“You can look at it as a negative,” said Cincinnati Bengals Director of College Scouting Mike Potts. āBut you can also look at it that the games he did play were quality tape. He’s really gifted. He’s got every physical attribute you could want, and he’s a good person.”
Since being selected by the Bengals, Mims has impressed coaches and teammates in every single way.
“He asks a lot of questions,” Orlando Brown, Jr. told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Technique, fundamentals. How the league is so he’s preparing on the field, off the field. He’s self-aware. He’s got the right mindset in thinking we’ll have to count on him at some point this season.” Alex Cappa added, āHeās got a good attitude. Heās also a physical freak. Thatās always good.”
Mims would bring long-desired stability to the right tackle position that has been a revolving door of failed solutions. The last three seasons have featured Riley Reiff, Laāel Collins, and Jonah Williams, respectively. In the Bengalsā Super Bowl appearance just two seasons ago, Isaiah Prince started at right tackle. Mims also provides an insurance policy for Trent Brown, who signed with Cincinnati in March, but comes with injury baggage.
The Bengals were far from the only team who were impressed with Mimsā potential.
Steelers Showing āTonā Of Interest In OT Amarius Mims, Two Other Georgia Prospects https://t.co/jGWjmpbEST #Steelers #Pittsburgh #NFL pic.twitter.com/NSdfABiDUh
— Steelers Depot 7ā£ (@Steelersdepot) March 14, 2024
In terms of Bengalsā rivals who were targeting Amarius Mims, why stop there?
From The Athletic's @ByNateTaylor, the Chiefs wanted to trade up for Amarius Mims before trading up for Xavier Worthy.
The Chiefs would later draft Suamataia, but cool tidbit that they liked Mims that much.
Full article: https://t.co/IUkb6ocGhw pic.twitter.com/0u52RRbyjV
— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) April 30, 2024
Itās kinda fun to stick it to two major rivals with one draft pick, donāt you think?
The biggest key to Amarius Mims reaching his full potential is his development. Mims is an incredibly raw prospect who has limited starting experience (with, should we add, a fair amount of playing time beyond his starts). Signing Trent Brown ensures that Mims can be eased into the starting role, with the goal likely being that Mims will take the reins as the franchise right tackle in 2025.
āI can get behind those guys and learn from Trent and Orlando as much as possible,ā Mims said. āIt was just wild watching both of those guys in college and now in the league and getting to be in the same room with them is just a blessing.”
Mims is fully aware of where he stands, which will serve him well in his development.āI’m open to all options,” says Mims. “My game is not perfect, but I’m going to get with a great group of coaches and we’re going to work together and we’re going to figure that out.”
In some ways, the development process is ahead of schedule. While Mims is expected to back up Trent Brown by the time the season starts, he has been taking first-team reps in practice in light of Brown training elsewhere during OTAs. Assuming that process goes to plan, the Bengals will have their cornerstone right tackle for quite some time.
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