In Week 1 of the NFL preseason, the Cincinnati Bengals faced off against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The offense started right where they left off last season as Joe Burrow went 9/10 for 123 yards, with two successful touchdown drives. Ja’Marr Chase also made a fantastic run and catch on a patented throw from QB1 on a 36-yard burst to paydirt. The defense was also shades of 2024. This is certainly a bad thing, as running lanes were wide open, and the secondary left much to be desired as Eagles’ backup Tanner McKee went right down the field for two touchdown drives of his own. While Al Golden’s group was admittedly very vanilla, they still have plenty of work to do before the regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns. Let’s examine three players who stood out after Game 1 of the preseason.
NFL Preseason Week 1: Risers for the Cincinnati Bengals
Tanner Hudson
Tanner Hudson is fighting for his life to make the team as the fourth tight end behind Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki, and recently acquired Noah Fant. His performance yesterday likely helped solidify that position as he was solid with two sweet touchdown catches and 62 yards receiving. The TE room is well-positioned and one of the deepest groups on the roster. All four should play important roles in 2025.
Dylan Fairchild
The guard position has given the Bengals and Burrow fits ever since he arrived in 2020. Cincinnati hopes to have found its left guard of the future in the form of Georgia product Dylan Fairchild. He was steady against the Eagles and looked anything but a rookie in what was a good start to his NFL career.
Dylan Fairchild aka Pickle looked pretty damn good tonight IMO pic.twitter.com/mZSY6glmuM
— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) August 8, 2025
Fairchild is trending upward; he’s strong at the point of attack and moves well in confined spaces. The Bengals are counting on him riding this momentum through the preseason, as Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin noted the left guard position is his to lose.
Shemar Stewart
The player with the most upside on this list is the 17th overall pick, Shemar Stewart, from Texas A&M. Stewart is athleticism personified, and his quickness has been impressive considering he just signed weeks ago.
Three iso shots of Shemar Stewart and a good look at his early impact in the game. #Bengals @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/QvF7s2dSE0
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) August 8, 2025
The power is also evident for Stewart, as he’s able to push heavier defenders back. Trey Hendrickson has been coaching him up on the sidelines, and when Stewart diversifies his pass rush sets as the season goes on, he could be a force to be reckoned with at this level.
The Bengals need Stewart and Fairchild to stay on the right track and refine their technique and process to improve if they are to make noise in the AFC North and beyond. The clock is quickly ticking.
Main Photo: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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