Bengals sign first-round T Amarius Mims, complete draft class deals

Bengals first-rounder Amarius Mims signed his rookie contract on Monday, per a team announcement.

This pact is worth $15.37M full guaranteed over four years. That figure includes a $7.99M signing bonus. Mims will be under team control through at least 2027, but like all Day 1 picks a fifth-year option could keep him in the fold for another season beyond that.

Jonah Williams departed in free agency, and right tackle was a key area of need for Cincinnati. As planned, the team sought out a short-term option at the position by signing Trent Brown to a one-year deal. To little surprise, though, several first-round prospects were considered in the lead-in to the draft. One of those was Mims, whom the Bengals selected at No. 18.

The 6-7, 340-pounder flashed considerable upside during his time at Georgia. More established options on the depth chart along with injuries severely limited his playing time, however. Mims got his first starts during the 2022 College Football Playoffs before logging three game at right tackle to begin the 2023 campaign. An ankle injury required surgery and left him sidelined for much of the season, threatening to hurt his draft stock.

Mims’ potential nevertheless allowed him to become a top-20 selection, and he will enter the NFL with high expectations. On the books in time for Wednesday (Cincinnati’s first training camp practice), Mims will spend the summer competing with Brown for the first-team RT gig. The team’s preference would likely be a redshirt rookie campaign given his lack of game reps in college, but Mims’ performance over the coming weeks will dictate how early he sees the field at the NFL level.

Here is a final breakdown of Cincinnati’s draft class:

• Round 1, No. 18: Amarius Mims (T, Georgia) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 49: Kris Jenkins Jr. (DT, Michigan) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 80: Jermaine Burton, WR (Alabama) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 97: McKinnley Jackson (DT, Texas A&M) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 115: Erick All (TE, Iowa) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 149: Josh Newton (CB, TCU) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 194: Tanner McLachlan (TE, Arizona) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 214: Cedric Johnson (DE, Ole Miss) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 224 (from Cardinals through Texans): Daijahn Anthony (DB, Mississippi State) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 237: Matt Lee (C, Miami) (signed)