Kristopher Knox has some high praise for Amarius Mims.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report wrote an interesting story identifying franchise building blocks for all 32 teams. These are players who have yet to be named an NFL All-Pro, make a Pro Bowl appearance, or sign their second NFL contract.
Players like Caleb Williams of the Bears, Jalon Walker of the Atlanta Falcons, Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos and Travis Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars all made the list.
For the Bengals, Knox highlighted tackle Amarius Mims, who will enter his third season in the NFL after being drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Georgia.
Mims was drafted as a freakishly athletic tackle prospect at 6-foot-8 and 350 pounds out of Georgia. He had plenty of question marks surrounding his injury history and limited snaps with the Bulldogs, but he is making the Bengals’ front office look better with each game he plays for Cincinnati. Mims has appeared in 32 games since the start of the 2024 season, making 30 starts.
Knox cited Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus, noting that Mims posted an 81.0 overall grade over the final seven weeks of the 2025 season, along with a 76.6 run-blocking grade.
Productive offensive linemen have been few and far between for Cincinnati since Andrew Whitworth left the franchise in the late 2010s. Now, the Bengals are in a position where they are pleased with all five offensive linemen — Mims, Dylan Fairchild, Ted Karras, Dalton Risner and Orlando Brown Jr. — bringing back the same starting offensive line for the second straight season for the first time since Joe Burrow entered the league.
Brown Jr. told James Rapien of First Word that much of the advice he has given Mims has centered on simplifying things and making sure he is taking care of the intangible aspects of the game that have nothing to do with being big and quick.
However, Mims’ physical presence is undeniable, and Brown Jr. said he has somehow gotten both stronger and faster this offseason.
When you think about foundational pieces on the roster, regardless of All-Pro honors, Pro Bowl appearances or contracts, you immediately think of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins before perhaps turning to defensive players like Dexter Lawrence and DJ Turner. However, the potential Hall of Fame-caliber career Mims could have with his imposing and athletic frame almost forces you to include him in that group.
Bengals fans can take some solace in the fact that they could have a quality offensive line for at least the next three to four years, with multiple young, productive players protecting Joe Burrow.
