Bengals' budding first-round breakout gets national attention

Bengals’ budding first-round breakout gets national attention as Cincinnati’s offense finds a rising impact from 2024 first-year rookie Amarius Mims. After years of struggles attributed largely to poor drafting, the Bengals revamped scouting and spent aggressively in free agency, including a trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Mims stands out as an exception, with Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus pointing to clear improvement. Locker cited a 67.6 overall PFF grade in Mims’ second season, but said Weeks 12–18 of 2025 marked a surge, producing an 81.0 overall grade and a 76.6 run-blocking score without allowing a sack. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox also highlighted Mims as a “most promising building block” for every NFL team, while injuries as a rookie and 2025 offensive adjustments shaped his development.