Amarius Mims shrugs off Nick Saban’s NFL draft night criticism

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Amarius Mims shrugged off criticism from someone who was once on the verge of coaching him.

When the Bengals selected Mims on Thursday with the 18th overall pick in the NFL draft, former Alabama coach Nick Saban questioned Mims’ consistency throughout his playing career at Georgia.

As a high school prospect, Mims had once been committed to play for Saban before he ultimately signed with Georgia, where he made eight starts in 29 games over three seasons. During his introductory media session in Cincinnati, Mims wasn’t fazed by Saban’s comments.

“Everybody has their own opinions of me,” Mims said Friday. “I don’t really care about what he said or what he had to say, honestly. I’m just glad to be a Cincinnati Bengal.”

The 6-foot-8 offensive tackle joins a team that features two other 6-8 players who anchor the Bengals’ offensive line — left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and right tackle Trent Brown. As a rookie, Mims said he is excited to learn the ropes from the two veterans as he settles into the NFL.

In his third year with the Bulldogs, the Mims made six starts at right tackle in 2023. He suffered an ankle injury in the conference opener against South Carolina that occurred in what he described Friday as a “freak accident” when another player fell on his leg while he was blocking a defensive end. The issue required “tightrope” surgery to repair the ankle, but Mims was able to return in six weeks.

He aggravated the injury, however, in the SEC championship game against Saban’s Alabama squad, a 27-24 loss that eliminated Georgia from the College Football Playoff. Saban, who retired at the end of the season and was on the ABC broadcast of the NFL draft, questioned Mims’ lack of college starts and his participation in the loss to Alabama.

“In the SEC championship game, he played the first 15 plays of the game and he’s out — takes himself out,” Saban said. “I don’t know what he injured, what he hurt, whatever, but you got to be a little bit more consistent if you’re going to be a great player and starter in the National Football League.”