Our resident Beast Master and NFL Draft expert projected the first two rounds in The Athletic’s second mock draft, which was released on Tuesday.

Amarius Mims, a massive 6-foot-7, 340-pound offensive tackle out of Georgia, was predicted by Brugler to be selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 18 pick. Ladd McConkey, a receiver for the Bulldogs, was added by Brugler in the second round.

NFL Mock Draft for 2024: Two rounds, 64 choices, four quarterbacks ranked in the top 20

Plotting a route from UGA to Cincinnati is a good idea; in recent franchise history, UGA and LSU have the most successful relationship.

Though it’s impossible to predict who in this class will go on to become the next Geno Atkins, Robert Geathers, or A.J. Green, there was something about these two selections that seemed promising given the needs in the offseason.

Once more, the Bengals require an answer at right tackle. In the event that Jonah Williams does not return, 2024 will be the fourth season in which a different starter will start at the position. Since Andre Smith left the position in 2015, the Bengals haven’t had a reliable right tackle starter aside from a troubled three-year stint for Bobby Hart.

Cincinnati may get hit in the exact spot where it has been itching for almost ten years with this selection.

I’m not saying that Mims would be selected, since regardless of how amazing his athleticism is, trotting out a right tackle with only eight career starts would pose a serious risk to a club hoping to contend in 2024. However, between picks Nos. 7 and 27, Brugler had eight offensive tackles go off the board.

Eight.

Examine the recent past of that particular subgroup.

• 2023: Four
• 2022: Four
• 2021: Four
• 2020: Four
• 2018: 3; 2019: 3

For the first time since selecting Williams 11th as Zac Taylor’s first draft pick in 2019, Cincinnati is selecting in the teens, and the odds are in favor of selecting an offensive lineman once more.

Greetings from the offensive tackle buffet. Select your preferred 300-pound slab. The good news for the Bengals is that their newfound emphasis on Joe Burrow’s style isn’t necessarily in line with what most of the league would want. That might align with a player they consider to be in the top-10 who is sitting in their lap at number eighteen.

That would be what kind of player? Large. rooted. strong.

At tackle, the Bengals have prioritized size over athleticism.

At 6 feet 8 inches and 345 pounds, Orlando Brown fit the bill and received the highest upfront salary ever paid to an offensive lineman in the history of the league. Although Williams, at 6-5 and 312 pounds, will probably be a valuable player somewhere next season, the Bengals’ offensive scheme is not a good fit for him.