Bengals offensive line upgrades fail to impress NFL analytics experts

With all of the drama and contract disputes surrounding Cincinnati's defense this offseason, the team's offensive line issues went largely ignored. But it must be time to get back to the other side of the trenches as the preseason begins.

Last week, Sharp Football Analysis, headed by analytics expert Warren Sharp, released its 2025 NFL offensive line rankings. The good news is the Cincinnati Bengals didn't rank last on this list. The unfortunate news is they ranked next to last, just above the Houston Texans.

Regarding Joe Burrow’s bodyguards, the team at Sharp Football Analysis had this to say about the new-look offensive line:

“Cincinnati's patchwork offensive line ranked no higher than 28th on any ballot. Guards Cordell Volson and Alex Cappa ranked 97th and 98th out of 103 interior linemen in pressure rate allowed last year. Free agent addition Lucas Patrick and rookie Dylan Fairchild will try to take over and upgrade those spots.”

Cappa and Volson were two of the worst guards in the NFL when it came to blown blocks last year. Cappa was a salary cap casualty, but went on to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders. Volson is still with the team. However, he took a pay cut and demotion this summer to stay with the team, and is now the second-string left guard behind a rookie on the depth chart.

The Bengals were aggressive in fortifying the offensive line via the draft when they selected guard Dylan Fairchild and offensive tackle Jalen Rivers in the third and fifth rounds, respectively. Rivers ranked sixth in that aforementioned blown blocks stat amongst all offensive tackles drafted since 2023, while Fairchild ranked second among all guards in in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Encouraging signs to be sure, but will it translate to immediate success at the professional level, and ultimately elevate the Bengals' blocking in front of Burrow?

Do the Bengals have enough to prove the Sharp Football analysts wrong?

The prevailing thought when the Bengals signed Lucas Patrick this offseason was that he would be a good depth piece. However, as training camp has progressed, it seems that the coaches are leaning on Patrick to become a starter along the offensive line.

According to Pro Football Focus, Patrick ranked 79th out of 136 guards with a pass blocking grade of 60.3 last year. Although that doesn't seem impressive at face value, Patrick had standout moments throughout the 2024 season.

And while Fairchild was a quality starting guard for the Georgia Bulldogs, counting on a third-round rookie to hold up against the plethora of pass-rushers that the team will see this season is a giant leap of faith.

Patrick and Fairchild are the only two new faces expected to start for an offensive line that'll run it back with Amarius Mims, Orlando Brown Jr, and Ted Karras as the returning starters for a below-average unit.

Minus an unexpected trade or waiver-wire pickup, as fans, all we can do is hope that a new offensive line coach, along with the upgrades and depth broken down above, are enough to significantly improve Burrow's chances of staying upright going forward.

From the Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins extensions, to proving they were 100% right in the Shemar Stewart standoff, the organization has continued to prove the naysayers wrong this offseason.

Hopefully, we will add this offensive line ranking to a laundry list of things that experts and talking heads got wrong about this 2025 Bengals team. But the only way to do that is for that much-maligned group to provide the best protection Joe Burrow's had throughout his professional career.

That journey begins as the preseason kicks off on Thursday night in Philly.