NFL training camp is officially underway. The Cincinnati Bengals have secured top weapons like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins for Joe Burrow this offseason, but yet again, they enter with myriad questions about the offensive line.
Third-round pick Dylan Fairchild is stepping into a spotlight that’s a little unconventional — but one that could define the early part of his NFL career. The Bengals didn’t just draft the 22-year-old Georgia product to be a long-term answer, they believe he can change the outlook for Burrow and the entire offense when they open up the regular season on September 10.
Fairchild is penciled in at left guard, a position that’s been a revolving door for Cincinnati in recent years. The Bengals have tried stopgap veterans, moved guys around and patched it together with mixed results. But this time, it’s different.
The promising SEC pass-protector could hold down the starting job next to Orlando Brown Jr. at LT, and keep their franchise quarterback upright.
Could Fairchild Handle NFL Transition In Year 1?
The question isn’t whether Fairchild has potential. He does. The talent is certainly there at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, and he’s endured 34 collegiate games — including back-to-back national championship seasons in 2021 and 2022, and 14 appearances in each of his last two. He plays with power, balance and that SEC-tested grit that’s tough to fake.
But NFL training camp is a different kind of obstacle, for even the most highly-touted draft picks.
“Pressure will be high and eyeballs will be fixated on the Bengals’ guard battles all camp,” The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. mentioned in a July 21 story. “At the center of that is this third-round pick for whom the team has cleared the path to assume the starting left guard role. Will he be up to the test? Or will putting him out to protect Joe Burrow on Sept. 10 feel like organizational malpractice? There are three veteran options around Fairchild and we’ll learn how tough his transition to the NFL will be and if the Bengals will still have more questions than answers at the problematic guard spot.”
By all accounts, Fairchild has come in with the right attitude since early May. Despite the underlying knowledge that he’d be a shoo-in to take over one of the starting guard spots, it hasn’t stopped him from relentlessly learning from veterans Ted Karras and Brown Jr. throughout OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
Other Bengals Will Compete For Starting Guard
With camp just getting started, expect the Fairchild storyline to stay hot. If he holds his own early, the Bengals can roll into Week 1 feeling confident that the line — for a change — might be set. If not? They’ll be scrambling again, and Burrow will once again be looking over his shoulder.
For now, the rookie’s in control. He’s poised to keep moving forward in his development, rather than let complacency fester. But it’s not going to be easy.
Cordell Volson will also be battling it out for the role, as the three-year veteran made 17 appearances (15 starts) last season for the Bengals.
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