DYLAN FAIRCHILD
GUARD
You sound excited ...
"I'm so excited. I'm ecstatic."
Tell us why ...
"Oh man, I'm just so honored to be taken where I was, and just super, super excited to be next to guys I'm familiar with, super excited to be with (Amarius) Mims, coach (Scott) Peters, all the guys in this organization, it's just a blessing to be taken by this franchise."
How excited are you to be reunited with Amarius Mims, and have you guys talked yet?
"Oh yeah, we just got off the phone. That's my dog right there."
How'd you feel about your 2024 season?
"I think as a team we were very, very resilient, and we displayed that — that's just something that's in our DNA. That's something that I'm obviously going to carry over with me no matter where I was going to get drafted to. I'm just super, super happy I can carry it to Cincinnati with me."
Offensive Coordinator Dan Pitcher just said left guard is yours to win. Have they communicated that to you?
"No sir, not yet. But I'm going to go in there and do what I'm called to do — just compete and do what I'm supposed to do every single day, and give it my all day in and day out."
Tell us a little bit about your wrestling background, how much that plays into your game, and your style, and what you know about the Bengals new offensive line coach Scott Peters...
"Oh yeah, I know he's a Brazilian jiu-jitsu donn, and as soon as we met throughout this process, I just felt the connection as soon as we met, and again, my wrestling background, his jiu-jitsu background, I think it's going to be a match made in heaven, and just super happy. Going back to your question, just the wrestler's mindset. I think me and coach have a similar mindset with just relentless attack no matter what. I'm just super excited to be with him, and get started on this whole thing."
What do you feel like you have to improve?
"Just run blocking, consistency, really just getting my hands inside, trusting my technique and fundamentals in the run game."
How would you describe the responsibility of trying to protect Joe Burrow?
"Oh, it's an honor — it's an honor. It's something I'm going to live and die by every single day. It's the biggest honor of my life, and I'm just super excited to do it. I'm going to live by the sword, and die by the sword, and give it my all every single day to do so."
The Bengals throw the ball and drop Joe Burrow back more than any other team in the NFL. How comfortable are you in an offense that's heavily predicated on the passing game?
"Yeah, I think that fits my play style well. Something I want to improve on is that run blocking, but being a pass-heavy team fits my play style, so I think this is going to be a great match."
That's pretty unique. I feel like most offensive linemen want to run block, and not necessarily drop back ...
"No, I still love to run block now. Don't get me wrong."
When did you get so comfortable dropping back in pass protection?
"I think it just goes back to wrestling. It's just a feel for body position. It's just something that I try to continuously improve on in my career. I'm not going to savor one phase of the game over the other, but I'm just going to continue to improve on both, and attack both every single day."
What did Amarius say whenever you called him?
"My nickname is 'Pickle' over there at Georgia, so he just said 'Yeah, Pickle!' We're both excited."
How did you end up with Pickle as a nickname?
"He gave it to me. I don't know, you'd have to ask him."
Knowing how much you were linked to the Bengals, and the connection you had, did you pick Amarius' brain as you went through the process of what Cincinnati was like?
"Honestly, I just went into it with an open mindset. I wasn't leaning towards any team, I wasn't trying to fall in love with anybody. Now I've fallen in love, and I'm married now."
Who is your next phone call tonight?
"Man, I don't know. Probably coach. Just tell him I appreciate the opportunity, and I'm super honored and grateful. The first thing I told him is I'm going to give my all day in and day out."
What grade were you in when you started wrestling, and how long did you keep that as a main thrust for yourself athletically before honing in on football specifically?
"I started wrestling when I was six years old, and I think the mindset of it translated as soon as I started doing it."
You had the formal interview with the Bengals at the Combine, but at the Pro Day, did you do a dinner the night before, or was it just conversations on the field?
"We just met, and watched film, and went over different types of install, and then me and coach Peters did a little demonstration where we just basically put hands on each other. That's where I really felt a connection. I could just feel in my hands, and his hands...I don't know, you could just feel that wrestler mindset, that jiu-jitsu mindset kind of connect right there."
Did you want to throw down with him?
"(Laughs) I kind of did."
