NFL Draft experts react to Bengals selecting Amarius Mims

So, the Cincinnati Bengals selected offensive tackle Amarius Mims with the 18th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Was it a good pick? Or, perhaps a poor one? If you don't know quite how to feel about the selection, don't feel bad because you're not alone. That's what NFL experts are for.

When it comes to Cincinnati's selection of Mims, there doesn't appear to be a clear consensus among experts, but most appear to agree that the pick was decent, at least. No one seems to be labeling it as an all-time disaster, or anything of that nature, so that's a positive.

What they're saying about the pick

Here at Stripe Hype. We thought the pick was solid, if not super exciting. The pick came at a major position of need for Cincinnati, so that's a plus. But, the uncertainty about how quickly Mims can contribute prevents it from feeling like a home run.

But hey, that's just our opinion. Here's a look at what some other outlets are saying about Cincinnati's first round pick.

Pro Football Network

Pro Football Network gave the pick a grade of B+, saying "The Bengals continue to fortify the unit in front of quarterback Joe Burrow by selecting the imposing offensive tackle prospect Amarius Mims out of Georgia. Mims’ size (6’7’’ 340 lbs) and length both fall in elite territory, which gives him an immensely high ceiling entering the NFL."

With a pick like Mims, who had limited experience in college, it's clear that that the Bengals are banking on his potential, and PFN clearly thinks that Mims has a lot of it.

USA Today

USA Today was a little less liberal with the grade, but they still gave the pick a respectable B-. The following rationale was provided:

"Big player. Big risk. Big reward. The 6-8, 340-pound Mims is massively talented and might develop into one of the NFL's most imposing blockers over time. With only eight career starts, though, he's very much an unproven product."

The lack of experience is going to continue to be a talking point all offseason when it comes to Mims, but the Bengals were clearly comfortable with it, as it didn't prevent them from selecting him.

SB Nation

SB Nation was high on the pick, giving it an A and lauding the Bengals for landing such a high-upside prospect:

"You worry about his lack of experience, but with Trent Brown playing right, he doesn’t have to play right away. Incredibly shrewd move by the Bengals, taking a high upside tackle who can be dominant when healthy."

What SB views as a positive -- the fact that Mims might not contribute right away -- could be viewed as a negative by others, but perhaps a best-case scenario is that Mims gets some solid experience as a rookie without being overly relied upon.

The Ringer

The Ringer gave the Bengals a solid B+ for the pick, saying "Mims brings as much upside as any tackle in this class and should have the opportunity to compete with Trent Brown for the starting right tackle job right away. Cincy just picked up a very large, athletic man to help protect Joe Burrow."

Even if Mims doesn't play too much as a rookie, this is the type of pick that probably won't be able to be judged accurately until a few years down the road.

The Athletic

Another B+ grade for the pick, this time from The Athletic. This publication is bullish on Mims' long-term outlook, but acknowledges the potential for growing pains:

"Mims only started eight games during his three years at Georgia, missing six last year with an ankle injury. A right tackle only in college, Mims still makes a ton of youthful mistakes with his eyes and feet and will fall off blocks far too easily. However, with time in an NFL system and the right offensive line coach, he could develop into a true star in front of Joe Burrow."

Overall, these reviews of the pick are all largely saying the same thing. There's an extremely high upside with this pick, but it also doesn't come without some real risk.