Bengals Reportedly Poached Chiefs' True First-Round Target
By Joe Summers
![The Chiefs reportedly wanted to acquire Amarius Mims before the Bengals drafted him at No. 18 The Chiefs reportedly wanted to acquire Amarius Mims before the Bengals drafted him at No. 18](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5182,h_2914,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/220/01hwtm5x8451gtmftgc1.jpg)
The Chiefs' first-round selection of Texas WR Xavier Worthy has fans excited for good reason, as he's a dynamic talent with unprecedented speed who can stretch the defense and let Patrick Mahomes throw all over the field.
However, one recent report suggests Kansas City considered trading up in the first round for George OT Amarius Mims, who was ultimately drafted by the Bengals at pick No. 18.
According to Nate Taylor of The Athletic, Brett Veach began calling teams in the middle of the first round for Mims before Cincinnati ultimately selected the tackle.
Chiefs Reportedly Wanted OT Amarius Mims Before Bengals Drafted Him
Via @ByNateTaylor the Chiefs had interest in Amarius Mims and attempted to trade up for him before he was taken by the Bengals.
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) April 30, 2024
Personally, glad this did not happen as Mims has a high risk factor as a pick especially if you’re trading up for him. pic.twitter.com/0PJv1mqbKP
There are legitimate reasons to question how badly the Chiefs may have wanted Mims. His playing time has wavered due to injuries and he primarily played right tackle, a position that Jawaan Taylor already plays.
Kansas City needed a left tackle, so it's possible the coaching staff envisioned moving Mims to that side. They ultimately found a solution in the second round with first-round talent, trading up for BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia.
It's unclear what the Chiefs may have needed to trade to acquire Mims, but the Bengals ultimately rendered that question moot. This could be an example of Cincinnati stealing a coveted player, or it might be an unnecessarily risky selection for a Bengals team whose offensive line routinely disappoints.
I'll trust Veach and Andy Reid at the end of the day. Worthy looks like a potential star in this offense, reminiscent of Desean Jackson in Reid's early days with the Eagles. The Chiefs' coaching staff seems to think Worthy compares favorably to Tyreek Hill, and that'd be a home-run value even at the end of the first round.
Only time will tell whether the Chiefs or Bengals had the better first round, though something tells me we'll be happy this trade never came to fruition.
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