Here’s what Amarius Mims’ former teammate can bring to the offensive line.
With the No. 81 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals turned their focus to the offensive line and selected Georgia Bulldogs guard Dylan Fairchild.
The two-year starter, who was teammates with Amarius Mims while at Georgia, will come to Cincinnati in hopes of competing and winning one of the starting guard positions on either side of Ted Karras.
What he brings to the Bengals
Pass protection: Fairchild is known primarily as a pass protector more so than a run blocker, which is exactly what the Bengals will be looking for. Even though Chase Brown and the rest of the running back need holes opened up for them, the offense flows through Burrow’s right arm.
Fairchild allowed just one sack in 787 pass-blocking snaps (PFF) in his two seasons as the Bulldogs’ starting right guard. Keeping in mind this was in the SEC, that’s an eye-popping stat.
Former wrestler: Fairchild was a state-champion wrestler in high school and landed in Georgia as a four-star recruit. Anyone who knows anything about wrestlers, especially guys who wrestle at a high level, they’re about as tough as they come. He finished his wrestling career with a 47-0 record, with two state championships.
Familiarity with Mims: Dylan “Pickle” Fairchild is a former teammate of the Bengals’ second-year right tackle. In fact, it was Mims who was responsible for Fairchild’s unique nickname, which was the logical next step after shortening his first name to “Dyl.”
Why the Bengals picked Fairchild
Joe Burrow is getting hit too much: Burrow put in MVP-caliber stats in 2024, but was still sacked 48 times in 2024. He has had issues staying healthy, having lost his rookie season and the 2023 season to injuries, and the Bengals need to do everything they can to keep him clean in the pocket.
Fairchild excels as a pass protector, and he could be able to lock up the right guard position next to his former Bulldogs teammate for the foreseeable future.
Day 1 potential: Most analysts believed the Bengals would be selecting a guard at some point in the draft to help keep Burrow clean. They got a guy on Friday who has the potential to step in and start in Week 1. He’s incredibly strong and could help solidify the right side of the offensive line, at least when it comes to pass protection, immediately.