Bengals rookie linemen Lew, Parker eager to grow in veteran-led group

When Brian Parker II saw the 513 area code and “Paycor Stadium” flash across his phone on the third day of the NFL draft, the moment hardly felt real.

The former Duke offensive lineman and Cincinnati native had spent years attending Bengals games with friends, cheering from the stands inside the stadium he now calls home. By the end of the call, the St. Xavier High School product was officially headed back to Cincinnati as a sixth-round pick.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Parker said during Bengals rookie minicamp Friday, May 8. “I get to go back home and be a part of something that I grew up rooting for. It’s surreal going to the games with my friends growing up and now here I am in the same locker room as Joe Burrow.”

Parker and fourth-round pick Connor Lew took the field Friday as the Bengals continued to integrate a pair of rookie offensive linemen into a veteran-laden room expected to protect a franchise quarterback.

Neither rookie arrives carrying immediate pressure to start, but both spoke about the importance of learning from established linemen like Ted Karras and Orlando Brown Jr. Those two veterans wasted little time welcoming them to Cincinnati.

Offensive tackle Brian Parker II is still digesting the fact he's a part of his hometown team. "It's surreal going to the games with my friends growing up and now here I am in the same locker room as Joe Burrow," he said.

Offensive tackle Brian Parker II is still digesting the fact he’s a part of his hometown team. “It’s surreal going to the games with my friends growing up and now here I am in the same locker room as Joe Burrow,” he said.

More: Here’s why the Bengals selected center Connor Lew in the NFL draft

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“Ted was the first one to reach out,” Lew said. “He texted me right after I got drafted and so did Orlando. I called both of them later on that week. They are great guys and people you want to be around.”

For Lew, the phone call from inside Paycor Stadium on draft night represented an opportunity to join a team he already viewed as being close to championship contention. It was hard to ignore the Bengals’ offseason buzz with several free-agent acquisitions and gargantuan blockbuster trade for Dexter Lawrence just days before the draft.

The former Auburn center described the call as “a dream come true,” though the reality of NFL life has started setting in quickly. He said he believes walking into an experienced room gives him a chance to grow rapidly while contributing whenever his opportunity comes.

“You know the Bengals are a team that is right there. Everybody knows what the Bengals can be and I’m excited to come in here and do my part,” Lew said. “Everybody so far has been super helpful. Just trying to pass along everything they know, even if it has nothing to do with football with what they know about the city. Just trying to continue to figure everything out and get settled.”

For Parker, the transition carries a personal layer that few rookies get the chance to experience. He grew up immersed in Cincinnati football and said his former high school coach at St. Xavier, Steve Specht, reached out shortly after learning Parker was headed home.

“He’s ecstatic,” Parker said. “I’ll be going to get lunch or dinner with him soon, then I’ll go up to X and hi to all the people.”

Parker also remembers some of the defining moments he witnessed as a fan. The last Bengals game he attended came right after his freshman season at Duke on Jan. 2, 2023, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after suffering cardiac arrest.

“That was pretty scarring,” he said.

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