The Cincinnati Bengals, aiming to find a strong offensive tackle to protect quarterback Joe Burrow for many seasons, picked the massive Georgia tackle Amarius Mims in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night.
Mims, standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing 340 pounds, is known for his skill in protecting the quarterback, but he faced a setback in his third year at Georgia when he played only seven games due to a high ankle sprain that needed surgery.
With the departure of tackle Jonah Williams to Arizona in free agency, the Bengals needed to fill the gap. Although they have Orlando Brown Jr. on the left side and signed Trent Brown for the right side, they view Trent as a temporary fix due to his age of 31.
Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor expressed excitement about Mims being available at the 18th spot. He believes the Bengals are a good fit for him, especially with experienced players like Trent and Orlando to guide him.
Despite Mims’ limited playing time at Georgia, Taylor sees potential in him due to his impressive physical traits.
While some analysts consider Mims a project due to his limited snaps at Georgia, they believe that the 21-year-old from Cochran, Georgia, has the potential to become the Bengals’ right tackle and provide better protection for Burrow, who has faced numerous sacks throughout his NFL career.
