Ask Cincinnati Bengals left guard Dylan Fairchild about the keys to his improvement this season, and he’ll sum it up in one word: fundamentals.
“The fundamentals and basics are what will allow us to win,” Fairchild said in a locker room interview before the Week 17 game against the Arizona Cardinals. “It all comes down to knowing your teammates, knowing the guys that are next to you.”
Advertisement
Fairchild’s contributions were recently recognized when he was named to the NFL All-Rookie team compiled by ESPN’s Ben Solak. Fairchild was tabbed as a second-team selection behind Seattle’s Gray Zabel.
“One of the lesser-known rookies on this list, Fairchild has improved each week and blocks with impressive quickness and core strength for his size,” Solak wrote. “He was a developmental player out of Georgia and appears to be ahead of his curve. He’s a good mid-round find for the Bengals.”
The Bengals selected Fairchild in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft 81st overall, and he assumed the starting role almost immediately. To date, he has earned a 60.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, good for 42.North Dakota among all eligible guards.
Fairchild has been more efficient in pass blocking with a 66.8 rating that ranks among the top 28 guards. He has allowed just two sacks and five hits so far this season, with 29 total pressures, and has been a key cog on an offensive line that is allowing a 5.4% sack rate, good for 11.th best in the NFL.
Advertisement
“I would say just the feel of the game,” Fairchild said of his development. “Orlando (Brown Jr.) and Ted (Karras) have helped me a lot with that. Just feeling the game, and just boiling it down in terms of simplicity. It’s a super detailed game, and you have to notice and concentrate on those details. But it’s still football, you know? It’s complex, but it’s simple. You can make it simple.”
Fairchild has struggled with his run blocking, and his 57.4 PFF grade reflects those struggles. But he knows where to find the answers.
“Just great execution, seeing through a pair of eyes and just trusting our fundamentals,” Fairchild said. “It all comes down to the basic techniques and the fundamental things that we do. Just playing as a unit, playing as one.”