Former Georgia offense tackle Amarius Mims was a key piece up front in helping the Bulldogs win two consecutive national titles in 2021 and 2022.
He became a part of the effort to help the Cincinnati Bengals reach the same type of heights at the next level in earlier this year, selected by the team in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 18 overall pick.
Mims will play a role in keeping star quarterback Joe Burrow clean in the pocket, the same way he did for Stetson Bennett and other Bulldogs signal-callers.
He credits Georgia and the preparation Kirby Smart's program provides for the opportunity that now stands in front of him.
“I would definitely say Georgia did a good job preparing me to be a pro faster,” Mims said. “Honestly, just because the culture there’s like one of one. There was probably maybe one team in the country that does it like we do it, but not as consistent as we do it. Like I said, they did a great job preparing me so I feel like I do have a foot ahead, but like I say NFL is another level above Georgia. So we’re gonna have to take it up a notch for sure.”
There's already a lot of hype surrounding Mims before he's even taken the NFL field for the first time, with ESPN's Jordan Reid projecting the Georgia product as future Pro Bowler.
“The offensive line class will live up to the hype,” he said. “The first five offensive tackles drafted — Joe Alt (Chargers), Latham (Titans), Olu Fashanu (Jets), Taliese Fuaga (Saints) and Amarius Mims (Bengals) — will all be Pro Bowlers, and Alt and Fashanu will both be considered among the best in the NFL at the position. So many of the top guys landed in spots where they will become immediate starters, and this class is too good to let down.”
How Mims progresses at the NFL level will be something to keep an eye on as the Bengals look to return to the Super Bowl stage, but he won't be starting immediately with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and right tackle Trent Brown in the fold.
Given how the injury bug has struck at times, though, Mims provides solid depth for now and a strong option atop the depth chart for the future.
