The Cincinnati Bengals have some rookies capable of taking over key roles in 2025, especially on the defensive side of the ball as the unit undergoes a youth movement.

Over on offense, though, third-round pick Dylan Fairchild will have a chance to win a starting guard job. That was a widely held idea before he had a key role in early OTAs work.

When looking at later-round rookies who could take over bigger jobs than expected though, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski actually tabbed fifth-round rookie Jalen Rivers as a prospect who could potentially have a bigger impact than Fairchild in 2025:

“Fairchild is bursting with potential to be a physically dominant interior protector after one season as a full-time starter. Whereas Rivers has started at guard and left tackle and is a far more mature prospect ready for the professional game.”

There’s an outside possibility of something like this happening, especially given Rivers’ positional versatility. That’s especially the case if the injury bug hits at some point.

That said, the Bengals have, at least so far, said quite a lot about how they view Fairchild while giving him starting reps. Free-agent signee Lucas Patrick was getting the nod at the other guard spot, while backups Cody Ford, Cordell Volson and Jaxson Kirkland remain in the mix, too.

Either way, outsiders will have a much better idea of what the lineup will look like once training camp starts.