Bengals veterans have high praise for team's first-round pick

Veteran members of the Cincinnati Bengals have been impressed with what they've seen from rookie offensive tackle Amarius Mims, who the Bengals selected with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round of April's draft.

Like most rookies, Mims is far from a finished product, but he has all the necessary physical tools and an apparent willingness to learn.

"He asks a lot of questions," Orlando Brown said of Mims. "Technique, fundamentals. How the league is so he's preparing on the field, off the field. He's self-aware. He's got the right mindset in thinking we'll have to count on him at some point this season."

"He's got a good attitude," Alex Cappa added of Mims. "He's also a physical freak. That's always good, Whatever I know, I'll pass it on to him. He'll develop over time. He's got a lot to learn, but once he gets everything good mentally, then physically it will come together for sure."

At this early stage of his career, Mims is in sponge mode, trying to absorb all that he can from those with experience.

"Right now, it's things like getting the snap count down," Mims said. "It's a matter of questions of cadence and stuff like that. Coach Pollack does a good job putting into categories of what kind of play it is. I'm taking it day-by-day. We've got a very talented offensive line and I'm listening to whatever they say."

If Mims begins the season as a starter for the Bengals will likely depend on how quickly he becomes comfortable with Cincinnati's system. As soon as he does, the rookie should be expected to see some major minutes. He was obviously drafted to be a long-term fixture on the O-line, and it seems like he has gotten off to a solid start based off of the comments from his teammates.