The Bengals came into night two with a bunch of holes to fill. They have a bunch of issues still on their defense and in my opinion they desperately needed to address their issues at guard.
In the recent past they have loved trading back in the 2nd-round. They’ve done it multiple times since 2017 and I was sure that they were going to move back somewhere on day 2 to acquire an extra pick in this year’s draft, but they ended up staying put.
With the 49th overall pick in the second-round, the Bengals selected LB Demetrius Knight Jr. out of South Carolina.
Demetrius Knight Jr. is a 6’2”, 235 lbs linebacker who tested pretty well. He posted an RAS score of a 8.17. He also posted one of the fastest 40-yard dash times of any linebacker at this year’s combine.
Demetrius Knight Jr. transferred to South Carolina last season where he was instantly voted a captain on one of college football’s best defenses. He finished last season with 82 tackles and 2 sacks.
The only knock on Demetrius Knight Jr. is his age. He is 25 years old going into the NFL, which means he’s probably already hit his ceiling. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. I believe because he is a more experienced player, he will be able to come in and be an instant impact player. He is basically a 1:1 replacement of Germaine Pratt.
He is an EXCELLENT character kid. He is the type of guy that you want your son to grow up to be.
I actually really like the player and I understand the pick. My only gripe with it is that it felt a little early. Especially when you consider who was there at 49 when the Bengals were on the clock. Most experts expected the run on linebackers to happen in round 4 and after this pick only one other linebacker was selected after them.
Who’s to say he would have been available if the Bengals would have waited, but I would have liked to have seen them trade back a few picks and try if they were hell bent on this pick. Regardless though, I do like the pick and the player. I think he will instantly come in and start and I think you could eventually see a C on his chest.
Moving on to round three..
With the 81st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected OG Dylan Fairchild out of Georgia.
It’s no secret that I have been banging the drum for the Bengals to upgrade their interior offensive line and help protect their franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow. Let’s face it, nothing else matters for this team than the health of Joe Burrow. They can only accomplish what they hope to accomplish if #9 is on the field. So protecting Burrow is very important. Especially considering the fact that you cut your starting right guard from last season in Alex Cappa and you went into the draft with a guard room of Cody Ford, Lucas Patrick, Cordell Volson and Jaxson Kirkland. That’s arguably one of, if not the worst guard rooms in the entire NFL. An upgrade was necessary.
After passing on fellow Georgia Bulldog Tate Ratledge at pick 49, the Bengals come back around in round three and select Dylan Fairchild. I actually don’t hate this pick. He’s not the guard I personally wanted, but he fits Cincinnati’s pass-heavy system. Fairchild was PFF’s top-rated pass-blocking guard in college football since 2023.
Fairchild has also only allowed one sack in the past 2 seasons.
That will do for me.
The thing I like about Fairchild is that he is a true guard. He’s not a converted tackle, he’s a true guard and has played his entire career at guard.
Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher says that the starting left guard position is Dylan Fairchild’s to lose.
Dylan Fairchild is also very familiar with new Bengals offensive line coach, Scott Peters’ strike system. He also comes with a wrestling background and said he connected with Scott Peters during Georgia’s Pro Day over their love of wrestling and jiu-jitsu.
When asked about the opportunity of getting to block for Joe Burrow, Dylan Fairchild said:
“It’s an honor. It’s something I’m going to live and die by every single day. It’s the biggest honor of my life.”
I absolutely LOVE that. Bring back the days of the nasty offensive linemen who will literally beat the shit out of you if you touch their quarterback. That’s who I want protecting Joe Burrow.
Overall I thought the Bengals did pretty well on day 2. I do think they reached, but they seem to always do this so it is what it is. At the end of the day they did fill two major needs and I’m happy they grabbed a guard and I hope to see them add another guard on day 3.
Here is to hoping we see the Bengals fill more holes and make the team better on the last day of the NFL Draft.
Ohio Sports Radio 
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