When the Cincinnati Bengals traded for Joe Flacco last season, something extraordinary happened that might've gone unnoticed as the team generally stumbled to a 6-11 finish. The Bengals' oft-maligned offensive line actually coalesced into a stellar unit.
Flacco balled out like he was in his prime (and even better than that at times) when he was healthy. So much so that Cincinnati couldn't let arguably the best backup QB in the league go in free agency.
But thanks to the 11th-hour addition of Dalton Risner and the continuing ascent of the 18th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the right side of that Bengals o-line is finally settled entering this year.
Slightly strange as the pick felt in real time, Amarius Mims has proven he's easily Cincinnati's best top draft choice since Ja'Marr Chase in 2021.
Bengals OT Amarius Mims' trajectory is that of a franchise player
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report posted an article that named each NFL team's most promising building block enterign 2026, and Mims was singled out in Cincinnati. Rightfully so, if ye ask me.
"The Cincinnati Bengals don't have a great recent track record of developing offensive linemen, much to the chagrin of fans who would prefer to see Joe Burrow upright. However, Cincinnati may have itself a gem in third-year tackle Amarius Mims. [...] While he's had his ups and downs, he also showed a lot of growth in his second season. [...] The Bengals have struggled to find true building blocks along their offensive line pretty much throughout the Burrow era. If Mims can take more positive strides in Year 3, however, he should become a long-term anchor in Cincinnati."
Knox also cites the PFF grades Mims had from Weeks 12 through 18, where he scored an 81.0 overall mark, allowing zero sacks and posting a 76.6 run blocking grade. In that span, Mims didn't give up a sack and produced a 76.6 PFF run-blocking score.
Thank goodness the Bengals spent their first-round pick this year on a trade for All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. Other than Chase and Mims, Cincinnati's top draft picks in the past half-decade or so have struggled.
Granted, Myles Murphy showed some good signs in the second half of Year 3. Dax Hill is great when he's healthy and actually playing where he's meant to (boundary cornerback). Jury's still out on Shemar Stewart, however!
Mims was pressed into duty as a rookie once Trent Brown got injured in Week 3. He's just now coming into his own, yet as he acclimated to his role, Mims wasn't ever a total liability.
2024 NFL Mock Draft redo lacks conviction that Bengals should've strayed from Amarius Mims
CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles isn't a true ball knower when it comes to the Bengals. That's plain as day to see in his recent 2024 mock draft redo. He opted for AFC North rival/Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins over Mims:
"The Bengals went with Mims, a bit of a developmental project at the time, in 2024. Guess what sunk their ship that season and last season, too? The defense. Wiggins is one of the game's very best coverage players, and he reeled in three interceptions last season while making 76 tackles. He is on a Pro Bowl trajectory and maybe even an All-Pro one."
Look, I get that it's difficult at times to take into account needs and roster makeup for all 32 teams. But come on man. Do better than this. At least come across like you did some research!
I love how he's so confident, too. "Guess what sunk their ship that season and last season, too? The defense?" LOL.
Cornerback is actually one area where the Bengals were excellent last year once they moved Dax Hill to the boundary, got a breakout season from DJ Turner and had Jalen Davis holding it down in the slot.
The secondary was the best level of Cincinnati's defense in 2025, despite Geno Stone's best efforts to sabotage the entire unit with awful coverage and worse tackling.
As for 2024, the larger issue was the lack of pass rush outside of Trey Hendrickson. If the Bengals had anyone else who could've gotten a minor amount of pressure on the opposing QB, they would've made the playoffs. They also just had some horrendous breaks that year of the Murphy's Law variety to lose some of those games. The 4th-and-16 pass interference penalty at Kansas City in Week 2 by Daijahn Anthony, for example.
So yeah, Wiggins has been very good in coverage if you only look at his 69.7 passer rating allowed, yet folks should also take into account his thirteen penalties committed in two seasons. Is he that good? Or does he just grab when he's torched in coverage, and therefore his numbers look better?
I'll have my popcorn ready to see how Chase and Tee Higgins fare against Wiggins this season. If the numbers look decent on Wiggins' end when he's targeted, we may nevertheless see multiple penalty flags fly in key moments.
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