The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t allow the Pittsburgh Steelers to make a decision on T Amarius Mims, drafting him two spots ahead of them—but that’s okay, because they got their tackle, and they’ll find out all they need to know about Mims thanks to T.J. Watt.
Assuming that he cracks the starting lineup, Mims will see Watt twice a year or more for the foreseeable future. The Bengals already have Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle, so there’s no question of Mims’ position. The only question is how soon he gets on the field after playing rather little at the collegiate level.
Whenever he does get on the field, the Steelers’ T.J. Watt will be on the ready to give him a hearty AFC North welcome. Many thought Mims would only see Watt in practice as a member of the Steelers organization. Instead, his reps against the greatest edge rusher in the game will count toward wins and losses.
Watt has led the NFL in sacks in each of the past three seasons in which he has been healthy. He posted 19 sacks in 2023, a decline from his record-tying 2021 season with 22.5 sacks. Each season he redefines the Steelers’ record books, and as he continues, he’l be rewriting NFL record books as well.
Now, we should allow for the fact that there is no shame in struggling against T.J. Watt. Suggesting that Amarius Mims is a bad player if he allows Watt to beat him is silly, given what we know of Watt. But the point is Mims is going to have his hands full in AFC North play. Don’t forget, he has Myles Garrett in Cleveland, too. At least on occasion, and against a rookie, the Browns may play him more on the left side accordingly.
Mims is probably one of the most physically gifted offensive line prospects in years. And his tape, what relatively little of it there is, is good. According to Pro Football Focus, he never allowed even a quarterback hit, albeit on just 377 pass-blocking snaps. But there’s still a projection when it comes to betting on him succeeding for the long term in the NFL.
it seems as though the Steelers would have taken their own pick, Tony Fautanu, at 20 even if Amarius Mims was still on the board. That’s the tone they gave in speaking about their selection, though they obviously have a bias.
But I’m sure the Bengals are ecstatic with Mims as well, and he does fit their preferences along the line. They also have a very respected offensive line coach whom they trust to coach this young player up and prepare him to face the likes of T.J. Watt.
But do we get the opportunity to see Round 1 of that matchup in 2024? They signed veteran Trent Brown in free agency to play right tackle, so this may be a redshirt year for Mims.
