Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims’ rise to prominence feels especially sweet knowing what used to define him
The conversation around Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims used to center entirely on what he couldn’t do and how rarely he was on the field. Two weeks of dominant play have changed that in a hurry.
When former NFL player and current analyst Brian Baldinger highlights an offensive lineman on Twitter/X in a “#BaldysBreakdowns” video, you know that lineman is doing something right. Baldinger is one of the media’s premiere OL analysts. His attention carries weight that is felt throughout the industry. When he heaps praise, the praise is echoed.
Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims has more than earned it.
Mims received a vintage film breakdown from Baldinger Monday night, a day following the 23-year-old matching Houston Texans All-Pro EDGEs Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter snap-for-snap in the Bengals’ 20-6 win in Week 2. He allowed just one pressure all game going up against both Anderson and Hunter. He has a 99.3% Pass Blocking Efficiency (PBE) rating through two weeks, the third-highest among all starting tackles in the league according to Pro Football Focus.
More of the NFL world is starting to realize the kind of player Cincinnati has on the edge of its O-line. Considering what the conversation used to be about Mims, this is even more justified than it already is.
The former stigma around Amarius Mims
One could see Mims’ potential during his days at Georgia. He boasted a career 99.2% PBE for the Bulldogs. He was incredibly difficult to get around, or go through as he was one of the largest players on the field who could move like someone significantly smaller.
The Bengals didn’t draft him No. 18 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft out of pure hope. That he lasted as long as he did in the first round was never about what Mims could do on the field. It was simply about the fact that he was rarely on the field.
You could not talk about Mims leading up to the 2024 draft without mentioning his injuries from the previous year, and the fact that he only played about 800 snaps at Georgia. Cincinnati leaned on the tape they had, and the scouts’ intel of what he was doing in practice against a tenacious defensive line.
“I mean, the bigger the exposure, obviously there’s more to see,” Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said after Mims was selected. “But with Amarius, we just kept coming back to like, yeah, maybe it’s not as many snaps, but the snaps that were there, you saw a lot of the things that you want to see.
“We saw enough in that sample size, and we feel really good about the pick.”
Mims is finally being judged by his abilities instead of his availability
The Bengals took a chance after four other clubs drafted a tackle in the first 17 picks, but injuries did follow Mims in the beginning of his NFL career. He suffered a pectoral injury during his first preseason game. An ankle injury hindered him at the end of his rookie year.
Making it through all of 2025 was the larger story compared to how he played that season. Mims allowed zero sacks or hits on quarterback Joe Burrow during the final six weeks of last year, posting the 10th-best pass block grade while conducting true pass sets among starting OTs during that stretch.
He’s continuing that level of play now, and everyone is starting to take notice.
When the discourse surrounding an extremely capable player involves all the things he can’t do, or things that are out of his control, the moment he breaks through means so much more. This is not just about realizing potential, it’s overcoming what once defined a player with so much pressure on him to fulfill it.
Mims is finally being recognized for what he can do, and it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
