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Ted Karras Explains Why Dylan Fairchild Is Poised for a Breakout Year
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- Ted Karras Explains Why Dylan Fairchild Is Poised for a Breakout Year
(Cara Owsley/ The Enquirer / USA TODAY)
The Cincinnati Bengals' offensive line will be running back the same group of five that played together for a large portion of last season. There has been a lot of publicity surrounding Amarius Mims and the possibility of an All-Pro season as the physical freak becomes more comfortable in the NFL.
Orlando Brown Jr. is emerging as a leader after successful stints with both the Ravens and the Chiefs . Ted Karras has been one of the Bengals' most consistent players on either side of the ball, while Dalton Risner earned himself a one-year contract after a strong seven-game stretch to end the season.
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However, there is a lesser-known interior offensive lineman out of Georgia, a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, who is receiving praise heading into his second NFL season after starting 15 games as a rookie. He ended the season much better than he started it, and Brown Jr. has talked in the past about how he didn't feel Fairchild started to get the hang of things until November or December, when he adjusted to the NFL schedule, routine and the demands of being a starter.
Pro Football Focus gave Fairchild offensive grades below 50 in three consecutive games from Week 3 through Week 5. For the remainder of the season, Fairchild earned a grade above 50 every week except one, exceeded 70 three times and posted a season-high grade of 84 in the Bengals' win over the Arizona Cardinals . He also recorded a season-high 67.5 pass-blocking grade.
Ted Karras recently appeared on Brandon Thorn's Trench Warfare podcast and discussed his teammate, saying the most underrated part of Fairchild's game is his ability to generate force. According to Karras, that trait separates offensive linemen because it cannot be coached.
Every one of the Bengals' offensive linemen is trending in the right direction. Brown Jr. is in his prime, Mims should continue to improve, Karras still has a lot of good football left, and Risner has established himself as a stalwart on the interior of the offensive line. As training camp approaches, don't forget about Dylan Fairchild . Based on Karras' assessment, it appears Fairchild could become a fixture on Cincinnati's front five for the foreseeable future.
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Like Mims, Bengals fans should have high expectations for Fairchild in his second season. If he continues to develop, Cincinnati could have top-of-the-roster talent at tackle with reliable depth at guard, making the Bengals one of the better offensive line units in the league.
