Among the Cincinnati Bengals' many NFL Draft misses over the past four years, they actually got some decent value out of a Day 3 pick who probably won't be with the team in 2026.
North Dakota State offensive lineman Cordell Volson was never going to be an offensive tackle as a pro. To his credit, the 2022 fourth-rounder (136th overall) made the transition from full-time right tackle to left guard in the NFL and became a three-year starter for the Bengals during a key stretch.
Was Volson some great player? Absolutely not. Will Cincinnati miss him if he does get away this offseason? It's possible, because at the very least, he brings depth and experience to an interior offensive line group in Cincinnati that is lacking on that front.
Cordell Volson missing all of 2025 should lead to exit from Bengals
The only pick the Bengals appear to have hit on from last year's rookie class is Georgia left guard Dylan Fairchild. He seized the starting job in training camp, and once Volson went down with a season-ending shoulder injury, it was officially a wrap.
Fairchild is the presumed starter for the foreseeable future at that spot, leaving little room or reason for Volson to stay in Cincinnati. He could at least have a puncher's chance at a starting job and a superior salary elsewhere.
No offense to Volson, but Fairchild looked better than he did at any point during his three full seasons of starting. Volson was part of a notorious Bengals o-line that got Burrow battered to oblivion from 2022 through 2024.
Just going to remind Who Dey Nation of this stat from Warren Sharp that was true entering the 2025 season:
"Joe Burrow has been blitzed at the #1 LOWEST rate of any QB the last 4 years --but-- he has been hit within 2.5 seconds of snap at the #1 HIGHEST rate [...] Burrow has been hit within 2.5 seconds 25% MORE than the #2 most hit QB in the NFL."
Volson was a not-insignificant part of Joe Brrr getting lit up time and again on quick pressures. Assuming the Bengals have the common sense to re-sign Dalton Risner, he should be their right guard in 2026 and at least another year thereafter.
Put another way, re-signing Cordell Volson is not what teams who are "all-in" for a Super Bowl do. I say this in jest, but that's why I give Volson a small chance of staying in Cincinnati, despite the premise of this article.
Now that he's racked up so much experience and has had a full season for his body to heal, perhaps Volson can catch on and have the most success of his career for another team. It's admittedly difficult to play up front for Cincinnati, with all the pure dropbacks Burrow does in Zac Taylor's system. Not an easy assignment, never mind the compounding pressure of getting Joe hit so often.
It's for the best for all parties if Volson and the Bengals do what's expected and go their separate ways this offseason. I guess us fans should thank Volson for his three years of starts, but then again, maybe Duke Tobin should've tried to find an upgrade sooner before Burrow kept getting rocked in the pocket.