The Cincinnati Bengals have a huge offseason coming up. Sound familiar? Well, that's what happens when you whiff on a lot of draft picks, fail to protect Joe Burrow well enough, and miss the playoffs three years in a row.
To be fair, though, the offensive line that has let Burrow down so often is actually rounding into form. It's the best unit he's ever had, albeit now when the games don't matter.
Looking forward to 2026 and thereafter, one of Cincinnati's premium picks appears to be coming into his own in a big way. That's one silver lining to cling to for next season.
Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims is ascending in Year 2
No question that 2024 18th overall pick Amarius Mims is getting help from the stability at right guard from Dalton Risner, but let's not discredit the former University of Georgia standout.
For someone who had only 801 reps at right tackle across his three college seasons, Mims had obvious physical tools that he just needed to put together. It looks like Mims is doing just that as an NFL sophomore of late.
Amarius Mims has graded at 70+ in 4 of his last 5 games, per PFF and today’s initial grade.
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) December 21, 2025
He graded at 70+ in only 2 of his previous 25 games.
He is still 23 and already looks like a long-term plus starter at RT.
A draft hit for the Bengals.
Was Mims the right pick at 18th overall? The Bengals were actually fortunate to have drafted him to some degree. Beyond his elite athleticism, Mims got thrust into duty as a rookie in Week 3 when Trent Brown went down with an injury.
It hasn't been the smoothest developmental process for the 23-year-old, but Mims is 6'8" 350 pounds with freakish movement skills. Only so much can go wrong. I used to call him, "Too Big To Fail." That sentiment still holds true.
On the other hand, Brown is starting right now for the Houston Texans, and they've won seven consecutive games. Much of that is due to their No. 1 defense, but Brown is a stabilizing force in the trenches for C.J. Stroud and the offense.
When you look at the rest of that 2024 draft, if Brown could've stayed healthy and stuck at right tackle, there were other studs to be had in that class where the Bengals were picking.
Here were my top preferred choices (time stamped and dated on my Notes app, in case you want to track me down and vet me; big board ranking in parentheses):
1. Quinyon Mitchell (7)
2. Brian Thomas Jr. (9)
3. Cooper DeJean (10)
[...] 8. Jared Verse (22)
10. Amarius Mims (25)
Now that DJ Turner has realized his potential as a lockdown cornerback and Jalen Davis is balling out at nickel, this doesn't look as egregious as it did this time last year. Would be nice to have Jared Verse on the edge, though!
The further away we get from the 2024 draft, the more it looks like the Bengals might've made the right call with Mims. Sure hope he maintains his current trajectory. And that Cincinnati pays him the appropriate amount for a second contract if he does so.