Bengals OL Primer: Cincinnati leans on five returning starters as training camp nears

Cincinnati’s next step toward training camp is a familiar one: continuity along the offensive line. In an official position primer published July 7, the Bengals laid out how their 2026 plans at the most basic structural level are built on returning experience, with the franchise expecting its five starters from the previous season to remain in the same roles entering the new year.

The Bengals’ turnaround at guard and the steadier progression at tackle have been the primary storylines on this unit over the last season, according to the team’s recap of how the line formed. Cincinnati entered 2025 with new starters at both guard spots, adding Dalton Risner shortly before the regular season began and drafting Dylan Fairchild in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bengals’ preview notes that Fairchild started the season opener and ended up starting 15 games total, while Risner logged his first start in Week 2 and went on to make 11 starts.

Cincinnati’s primer also points to performance grading that the team says illustrates why those starters became the base of the group. Fairchild is described as posting the fourth-highest PFF offensive grade among rookie offensive linemen with at least 100 snaps, along with the second-highest pass block grade among that group. Risner is characterized as grading as a top-25 guard, ranked 24th with a 72.3 offensive grade, as cited by the Bengals’ write-up.

At right tackle, Amarius Mims is presented as the clearest example of development from Year 1 to Year 2. The Bengals’ preview says Mims played in all 17 games in 2025 and cites Pro Football Focus figures showing he logged the 11th-most pass-blocking snaps in the league with 694. It adds that he allowed 37 pressures, translating to a 5.3% pressure rate, which the team frames as the 27th-lowest among tackles who played at least 100 pass-block snaps.

The center and left tackle spots round out the group as presented by the Bengals. Ted Karras is listed as the center, and Orlando Brown Jr. as the left tackle. Cincinnati’s primer says PFF had Brown logging 733 pass-block snaps, the eighth most in the NFL, with a 6.7% pressure rate, a detail included to emphasize workload as well as efficiency.

Beyond individual grades, the Bengals connect the offensive line to team-level results. The preview notes Cincinnati allowed 36 sacks in 2025, the 14th fewest in the league. It further states that, according to NFL historian Ryan Michael, the Bengals finished tied for 10th in NFL sack percentage, describing that as the first time the team posted a top-10 rank in that category since 2014.

The Bengals’ offensive-line continuity also ties into production on the ground. The team’s primer points to running back Chase Brown clearing the 1,000-yard threshold for the first time in his career, presenting the blocking unit as a major contributor to one of the better rushing stretches Cincinnati has seen recently.

With training camp approaching, the focus becomes whether the stability described in Cincinnati’s position preview translates to another season of fewer breakdowns in pass protection and a productive running game. The Bengals have a practical advantage in having the core intact, but the preseason also serves as a measuring stick for depth, fit, and how quickly the starters repeat the underlying communication and assignment discipline that fueled the 2025 improvements.