Picking the best first round NFL Draft target for the Cincinnati Bengals after free agency
The month of April has arrived, indicating a shift in the NFL offseason from free agency to the NFL Draft.
Six new veterans have joined the Cincinnati Bengals, and they all play positions of need. Safety, running back, tight end, defensive tackle, and offensive tackle have all been addressed in some capacity, though long-term needs are still prevalent at a few important positions.
Right tackle is one of those spots in need of a long-term answer. The answer is Amarius Mims out of Georgia.
Fatigue usually sets in regarding certain narratives about the upcoming draft class, but the hype regarding this year’s crop of offensive tackles hasn’t subsided. The top prospects at the position have maintained their status as players worthy of the first round label.
Mims may end up better than all of them
Still just 21 years old, Mims is very impressive on tape. He boasts the most impressive combination of size and athleticism out of every tackle coming into the NFL this year, and he does it all with quality awareness and hand usage. That’s what makes him so unique.
Mims has only started eight career games at Georgia, and has logged just over 800 career snaps at the right tackle position.
“Technically, he’s pretty far advanced for a guy who really hasn’t played a ton of football.” NFL Draft analyst Mike Renner stated on a recent episode of The Growler with Paul Dehner Jr. “So I think his ceiling could be as high as anyone else in this draft class is.”
Mims’ ceiling gets talked about plenty, but he’s not unlike the consensus top tackles in regards to his immediate ability. He’s already good enough to start very early in his career and doesn’t need too much technical refinement. More experience would make him a better player, but he’s already ready to go.
That’s a major plus for the Bengals, who have Trent Brown under contract for just this season. Brown has a noted injury history, so having a ready-to-play backup behind him is of paramount importance for Cincinnati this season.
