The Bengals’ offensive line is getting dragged again this offseason, but the numbers tell a different story than the lazy narrative hanging around Cincinnati.
Sharp Football’s preseason ranking slotted the Bengals at No. 28 out of 32 offensive lines, and that drew an immediate response from BengalsTalk.com’s Jay Morrison. Warren Sharp fired back with his own data, pointing to Cincinnati’s pass protection issues last season: the Bengals ranked No. 28 in pass block win rate, allowed the third-most pressure, the second-most non-blitz pressure and the seventh-shortest time-to-sack.
He also cited the running game behind the Brown-Fairchild-Karras-Risner-Mims combination, noting 3.9 yards per carry, -0.09 EPA per rush, a 12.8% stuff rate and 1.29 yards before contact per attempt.
But that only tells part of the story.
The Bengals’ line was not a finished product for much of last season, and the early damage matters. A pass protection breakdown in Week 2 helped trigger Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury, and the personnel department’s late signing of Dalton Risner was part of that mess.
Even so, the unit settled in. Risner and Amarius Mims stabilized the right side.
Rookie left guard Dylan Fairchild was a functional starter when healthy. Orlando Brown Jr. held down left tackle, and Ted Karras remained steady at center.
That’s why the “the Bengals can’t run the ball” line doesn’t really hold up, either. Joe Goodberry pointed out that Cincinnati finished No. 1 in EPA per rush in 2025 and ranked third in rush success rate behind the Rams and Bears. He also noted that all five starting offensive linemen are back, Erick All returns to the tight end room, and Chase Brown is in a contract year.
Burrow has spent most of his Cincinnati career working behind imperfect protection, but this group has a real chance to be the best line he’s had in front of him. Fairchild should improve in his second season, and Mims looks more like a legitimate franchise tackle every time out.
There’s also a path if Karras, who is aging, slips a bit. Connor Lew or Brian Parker II could step in at center, and the Bengals would likely be fine. Both are rookies, but both are better athletes than Karras, which could give Cincinnati more flexibility and open up the run game in different ways.
None of that will matter to the people who want to dismiss the Bengals’ line before the season even starts. They’ll point to the rankings, shrug at the context and keep the criticism rolling. But the data cuts both ways, and this latest shot at Cincinnati’s front five looks off the mark.
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