Dylan Fairchild
Cincinnati BengalsModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 15 games
Draft & College
He went earlier than consensus.
Comps
STM Take
Rookie tier 8 (#99) at left guard for a 3rd-round pick is on the year-one band for Day 2 IOL prospects on stable-starter trajectories. The Georgia back-to-back national championship pedigree (2021, 2022) plus the 81st overall draft slot gives him real technical foundation. The 2026 question is whether Fairchild crosses into tier 6-7 territory in his year-two jump or whether the structural rookie tier 8 finish becomes the baseline.
Fairchild came out of Georgia as the Cincinnati Bengals' 3rd-round pick (81st overall) in 2025 after starting 28 games for the back-to-back national championship Bulldogs (2021, 2022 roster). The Bengals installed him in the interior rotation as a rookie to anchor the protection around Joe Burrow. His first STTM appearance comes in 2025 at tier 8 (#99), reflecting the standard Day 2 rookie IOL learning curve.
Strengths
- Georgia back-to-back national championship roster pedigree (2021, 2022) plus 28 college starts gives him real technical foundation.
- Year-one starter snaps protecting Joe Burrow at age 22-23 gives him the developmental runway plus the structural Bengals support.
Concerns
- Rookie tier 8 (#99) finish is the year-one band for 3rd-round IOL picks rather than the breakout-ceiling tier.
- Cincinnati's broader offensive line investment pattern (multiple Day 2 picks 2024-2025) signals the front office may still draft an upgrade.
What to watch: Whether Fairchild crosses into tier 6 (top 50) in 2026, the standard year-two threshold for 3rd-round IOLs on stable-starter trajectories.