While this organization has clumped together a few successful NFL Drafts, the Cincinnati Bengals have consistently struggled to draft quality offensive lineman. In order to find the first offensive lineman drafted by this team that managed to make a legitimate impact, you’ll need to look back to the 2012 NFL Draft when the team selected guard Kevin Zeitler with the 27th overall pick in the draft. If this team wants to figure out a way to successfully protect superstar quarterback Joe Burrow, they’ll need to figure out a way to break that trend.
Cincinnati Bengals Draft Pick Works Hard During OTA Period
For the first time since the disastrous selection of Billy Price with the 21st overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Cincinnati invested early in their offensive line when they drafted University of Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims with the 18th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Mims is a physical freak at 6’8″ and 340 pounds which will help the Cincinnati offensive line improve dramatically against the run after losing veteran running back Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans this offseason.
While it is an impossible task to try to assess Mims this early on, there are some important signs that show that he is going to be a successful player in this league. High on that list is that he’s demonstrated value in both work ethic and modesty early on during his NFL experience when he told reporters about his strategy to learn the NFL playbook.
“I have two [notebooks],” Mims said after Tuesday’s practice, his sixth with the team. “I keep one in the O-line room because we’re always having rookie meetings after practice, and I keep one with me to take home. I take pride in knowing the playbook,” he added. “Being a young guy, the fastest way to get on the field is knowing the plays, and the quickest way to get off is not knowing. It’s my job. I’ve got to hone in on stuff like that.”
Mims would go on to speak about the value that a mentorship with both Orlando Brown and Trent Brown have had on him even this early on in his NFL career.
“It’s been great so far,” Mims said. “Some guys don’t have the foundation I have with Orlando and Trenton [Brown] whenever he gets back. I have two veteran guys who have been there, done that at the highest level possible. Why not get up under their wing and learn from them?”
Is everyone getting bigger or am I just getting smaller? 😅 @ZEUS__57 welcomes @amarius_mims to Paycor Stadium. pic.twitter.com/0xcLTD5VsJ
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) April 26, 2024
As a former offensive tackle at the collegiate level, I’ve had some successful seasons and some disastrous seasons. Without a doubt, the best seasons I ever played were when I had the playbook memorized against every single defense before I even started the season. Mims went on to elaborate that while he has put in some serious work, he certainly has more room to grow.
“I know there’s gonna be mistakes, but if I can go out every day and make the least amount of mistakes possible with the right technique, then that’s my goal,” he said. “It’s not the goal to start right now, to beat somebody out. It’s just to be as consistent as possible and fix the little stuff,” Mims continued. “If I can do that, I can see my game start rising.”
At the end of the interview, one reporter asked Mims if he had experienced a day of practice yet where he didn’t commit any mistakes.
“Oh, no. Oh my God.” Mims said after a burst of laughter. “I’m making mistakes before I get on the field,” he said. “I wish.”
The jury is still out on whether Mims will be an effective offensive lineman in the National Football League. Regardless of how his career plays out over the next few years, no one can argue that he isn’t having a perfect start to his career from a character perspective.
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