A Georgia standout and former wrestling champion who stepped into Cincinnati's starting lineup right away and made an All-Rookie team.
Dylan Fairchild arrived in Cincinnati as a third-round pick in 2025 with a reputation for toughness built on the wrestling mat as much as the football field. He wasted little time proving it, starting nearly every game as a rookie guard and earning postseason rookie recognition.
Path to the league
Fairchild played 34 games over four seasons at Georgia, with all 24 of his career starts coming in his final two years. He started all 14 games in 2024, earning Second-Team All-America and Second-Team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press. The Bengals drafted him 81st overall in the third round of the 2025 draft.
Career highlights
Beyond football, Fairchild compiled a 67-0 record in high school wrestling and won back-to-back Georgia state titles in the Class 7A heavyweight division. At Georgia, he was teammates with Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims, a 2024 first-round pick.
2025 season recap
Fairchild started all 15 games he played as a rookie at left guard, logging 961 offensive snaps and earning both PFF All-Rookie Team and ESPN NFL All-Rookie Team honors. His pass-blocking grade ranked among the better marks at his position leaguewide for first-year guards.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Dylan Fairchild
- Pro Football Reference: Dylan Fairchild
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- Georgia
- Hometown
- Cumming, GA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
