Bengals top draft pick will be thrown into the fire following major injury to Trent Brown

In the NFL, injury to one player typically equates to added on-field opportunity for another player, and that's going to be the case for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Amarius Mims set to start for Bengals after injury to Trent Brown

The Bengals lost starting offensive tackle Trent Brown for the season after he suffered a torn patellar tendon against the Washington Commanders on Monday night, and while his loss is a big blow for the team, it will open the door for rookie tackle Amarius Mims to show his stuff. The Georgia product missed the first two games of the season for the Bengals due to a pectoral injury he suffered during preseason play, but he made his professional debut Monday night against Washington.

The Bengals selected Mims in the first round (18th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft with high hopes that he could ultimately become a fixture for the franchise on the offensive line. However, the main knock on Mims coming out of college was a lack of experience, as he only started eight total games throughout his collegiate career. As a result, his selection by the Bengals came as a surprise to some, despite his immense talent.

So, it's likely that the Bengals wanted to bring him along slowly -- let him get his feet wet and get some experience while playing behind an experienced veteran like Brown. But, that plan is now out the window following Brown's injury.

Instead, Mims will basically be thrown right into the fire as a starter right away, so the team will get an excellent opportunity to see what he's made of, at least. It's not necessarily an ideal situation, but often actual in-game experience is the best way for a young player to learn, so maybe it will help Mims to quickly develop and scratch the surface of his potential.

"Amarius Mims is the next guy up and nobody's better for the job," Bengals center Ted Karras said of the situation. "He's the guy we drafted to play right tackle and I'm excited to see what he can show with a full week's prep."

After an 0-3 start, the odds are heavily stacked against the Bengals bouncing back and making the playoffs. After all, there have been 160 teams to start a season with a record of 0-3 since 1990, and only four of them have gone on to make the playoffs. If they hope to defy the odds and avoid missing the playoffs for the second straight season, they'll need some productive play from their most recent top pick.