Dylan Fairchild’s first interview as a Cincinnati Bengal video
Dylan Fairchild speaks during his first in-person interview as a Cincinnati Bengal after being picked in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
It’s not hard to imagine how Dylan Fairchild’s background as an elite prep wrestler would have suited him well as an offensive lineman.
The core strength that’s required. The grappling and hand-fighting. The ability to get your opponent on the ground, fighting out of uncomfortable and prone positions. The agility and quick footwork. All of that translates to playing in the trenches of a football game.
Fairchild was a four-star recruit and a high school All-American football player at West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia, and played his college football at Georgia, where he was among the elites of the elite in the game.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Fairchild in the NFL Draft Friday with their third-round pick. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor conceded on Saturday that he wasn’t sure Fairchild would be available long enough to grab him at that point in the draft, but they did.
The traits that made Fairchild a quality wrestler are thought to be part of what made him a decorated lineman. But as good of a football player as Fairchild is, he might have been a better wrestler. The evidence for that is that Fairchild had an invitation to wrestle at Penn State, where living wrestling legend Cael Sanderson is the coach.
“Cael Sanderson called me. That was a huge honor, and not really a goal, but it was just a huge milestone in my wrestling career. I had a Penn State offer for football and he just gave me a call and was like, ‘hey, if you want to wrestle, come on. Let’s do it.’ So, that was really cool for me.”
Sanderson is considered by many to be the greatest wrestler in NCAA history. He went 159-0 in his wrestling career at Iowa State, winning individual national championships each year. He also claimed an Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games.
Penn State has won eight team national championships, in additional to individual championships, with Sanderson running the program since 2009. The Nittany Lions wrestling program is generally considered to be the best in America, and their 2025 national championship underscores that point.
An invitation to wrestle at Penn State under Sanderson is no small feat. That head football coach James Franklin and Sanderson appeared to be on the same page about offering Fairchild a chance to be a two-sport athlete for both of the powerhouse PSU programs? That really says something about how talented Fairchild was at that point in his life, how competitive his recruitment was, and how strong his athletic foundation was as a rising college freshman.
Fortunately for the Bengals, Fairchild decided to focus on football at Georgia. That worked out well enough. Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher on Friday night said the team’s left guard position is essentially Fairchild’s.
“I think he’s a player who can compete right away,” Pitcher said on Friday. “He’s immediately thrown right in the mix at left guard, and he’s a player with a lot of upside yet to realize. We’re going to demand it out of him early. We’re not waiting. He’s going to show up, the demands are going to be clear, and we’re going to ask him to go do it right now. But we know there’s a process there too, for him to grow and ultimately become an excellent player.”
Dylan Fairchild’s first phone call with media as a Cincinnati Bengal.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Dylan Fairchild from Georgia in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.