Bengals take OT Amarius Mims in the NFL draft as Cincinnati seeks better protection for Joe Burrow

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals, seeking an offensive tackle who can play in front of franchise quarterback Joe Burrow for years to come, chose huge Georgia tackle Amarius Mims in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night.

The 6-foot-8, 340-pound Mims played seven games and suffered an ankle injury in his third year at Georgia in 2023.

The Bengals lost tackle Jonah Williams to Arizona in free agency. They have Orlando Brown Jr. on the left side. They signed veteran Trent Brown to a one-year contract to play on the right side, but at 31 he’s not seen as a long-term solution.

They believe Mims can eventually slot in there and keep the oft-sacked Burrow upright more often.

Having taken an offensive lineman, the Bengals could look for an interior defensive lineman or a receiver in upcoming rounds. They have nine more picks in the remaining rounds.

They had their eye on Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga, who was chosen by the New Orleans Saints with the 14th pick, and Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, taken by Seattle with the 16th pick.

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Mitch Stacy, The Associated Press