2024 NFL Draft: Cincinnati Bengals use first pick to take Georgia offensive tackle

DETROIT — The Cincinnati Bengals, with the 18th pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, picked offensive tackle Amarius Mims of Georgia on Thursday night in Detroit.

>> RELATED: Here’s the list of first-round picks

The 6-foot-8, 340-pound 21-year-old junior is projected by draft analysts to become a “good starter” within two years.

According to an overview of the player from NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein for NFL.com., Mims is a “talented tackle prospect carrying a picturesque frame and exciting NFL traits.”

He plays with pretty good technique, Zierlein said, and is ahead of the game with hand placement.

“It is very rare to see him clearly beaten by a rusher, and he has the recovery talent to do something about it when it happens. Mims has more development to go, but he’s a Day 1 prospect with the traits and talent to be considered at either tackle position.

“He has a high ceiling, but questions due to his lack of experience could temper early expectations.”

Mims was a backup for the national champions as a freshman, Geoff Hobson with Bengals.com reports, and then the next season made his first two collegiate starts in the national semifinal and national title game.

Last year he was limited to six starts with an injured ankle and made three of them in the final regular-season games when he returned from surgery.

Despite his shallow resume, the draftnicks rave about Mims, Hobson said.

Although Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin prefers making picks he feels are solid doubles rather than warning track home runs, Ourlads’ Scouting Services calls Mims a “swing for the fence type prospect.”

The Bengals hope to place Mims behind the 6-foot-8 bookend tackles the team has in Orlando Brown Jr. on the left and Trent Brown on the right.

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