If there’s one real bright spot that’s been consistent throughout the season so far for the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s been right tackle Amarius Mims’ nearly perfect play.
Mims has shut down every pass rusher he has faced so far. That list includes the likes of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter from the Houston Texans.
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It also includes TJ Watt from Sunday’s game with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That performance caught the eye of Brandon Thorn – one of the best offensive linemen evaluators – who had high praise after Mims’ incredible start, calling him a top 5-to-6 right tackle in the NFL.
“This is a top 5-6 RT in his 3rd season,” Thorn said.
The knock on Mims in the draft process was that he couldn’t stay healthy. That always seemed unfounded considering he never had a major knee injury. A number of moderate to minor injuries arose towards the end of his time in college and during the draft process itself. It also created a lack of experience, but he never had an issue with the SEC.
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That’s why the Bengals may have gotten the steal of the draft at No. 18 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has reached what many call his high ceiling of potential. Those types of picks don’t always work, but it’s clear they’ve nailed this one if Mims can stay healthy.
The only question now is whether he will eventually be moved to left tackle. Orlando Brown Jr. has struggled a bit with some of the faster rushers in the NFL, and it’s shown a few times over the years, but he’s far from being an unacceptable starter. It may come down to whether they think the move is feasible, and how much exactly they need to pay him when the contract needs to be redone. Because he should definitely push for elite tackle money, but left tackle will always get more in that spot.
That’s a long-term discussion, though. We can enjoy him as an absolutely dominant offensive tackle now.