Jun 10, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters (center) works with offensive tackle Amarius Mims (71) (left) and offensive tackle Caleb Etienne (77) )(right) during practice at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images

Pro Football Focus Ranks Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Line Among NFL's Worst

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Russell Heltman | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 7:13 AM ET

Pro Football Focus is the latest outlet to fade the Bengals' offensive line potential this coming season. Zoltán Buday has the unit ranked 31st entering the 2025 campaign, only Houston is ranked worse.

Buday has little faith in any member of the line, outside of Ted Karras.

"The Bengals overhauled their guard pair with journeyman Lucas Patrick and third-round draft pick Dylan Fairchild," Buday wrote. "However, the rest of one of the worst offensive lines in 2024 remained in place. The offensive tackles, in particular, will need to improve drastically. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.’s 58.2 PFF overall grade ranked only 66th among 81 qualifiers, while rookie right tackle Amarius Mims’s 57.8 mark placed him 67th."

Fielding the second-worst offensive line in the league would be a disaster from a front office that has done as bad a job as any group in the league at protecting its quarterback across this decade.

Warren Sharp noted last week that no quarterback has been blitzed less often than Burrow since 2021, but he also leads the league in most times hit in under 2.5 seconds. That's helped make him the second-leading quarterback by sacks taken since 2021 (164 sacks taken to Russell Wilson's 166). A Super Bowl is very tough to win with protection like that.