Bengals' surprise roster move preceding training camp gives their top rookie the perfect opportunity

The Cincinnati Bengals have added another name to their Non-Football Injury list in right tackle Trent Brown. The move comes on the afternoon right before the team's first training camp practice.

With Brown out for the time being, that leaves first-round pick Amarius Mims slated to take reps at right tackle for the beginning of camp.

Brown's apparent injury isn't yet known, but for Mims, this can turn into exactly what he needs to start his NFL career.

Amarius Mims will get plenty of reps at a time when he needs them most

The biggest knock on Mims coming out of college, outside of his injury-filled 2023 season, was his lack of playing time at Georgia. He played just over 800 snaps on game days, and was credited with just eight starts despite playing 30 games. Most of his appearances being as a backup subbing in late in blowout victories.

But Mims practiced a ton against elite athletes at one of the best programs in the country, which helped him hone his skills to be worthy of the 18th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. He'll get plenty more practice reps now that Brown is sidelined, and it could set him on track to being ready to play Week 1.

Brown's experience and ability to pass protect on an island make him an attractive option if he's healthy. But he's only under contract for one year and has dealt with durability concerns in the past. It's why the Bengals needed to draft a long-term replacement after signing him in free agency .

Mims, on the other hand, carries far more upside with his game. He's an elite athlete with just as much size and length as Brown. If the team feels he's ready to play, the Bengals' offense could be even better with a pass protector capable of blocking the elite pass-rushers in their division.

To be clear, Mims was always going to get a chance to start. Brown's status as a vet with a history of missing games set him up for a training camp filled with rest days. This alone would've given Mims extra reps he may not have gotten on other teams.

The extra reps he's about to be given can only accelerate his development over the next several weeks. By the time Brown returns, Mims may already have the coaching staff ready to roll with him.

Or Brown can return in a few days and all of this becomes moot. That's the nature of camp.

Related: Answering the 5 most important questions heading into Cincinnati Bengals training camp