05-17-2025, 04:49 PM
(05-16-2025, 08:38 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: Yes football isn't played at the combine. But something like 70% of offensive line probowlers scored a 7.5 RAS score or higher. So athletic testing is very important in evaluating risk of a draft pick. Also according to some evautors Ratledge's 2023 tape pre ankle surgery was 1st rd worthy. Plus reports had him higher on the Bengals board as he was the next guy on they're board in the 2nd rd.
Hey, I had Ratledge higher than Fairchild as well. Doesn't mean a thing till they play NFL football. Not like Fairchild is an Orlando Brown either.
He can get around and is a very good pass protector, I think he will be an upgrade over Volson immediately.
(05-17-2025, 03:46 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Isn't that more of a consideration for tackles?
Cordell Volson, Cody Ford, Michael Jordan, Quinton Spain, Hakeem Adeniji (who played G in 2021), Alex Redmond, Xavier Sua'-Filo, and John Miller all in the Taylor era for the Bengals have longer arms than Dylan Fairchild. (There's probably a guy or two I am missing who started a couple games for us, but those are the big ones.)
Alex Cappa and Lucas Patrick have shorter arms than Fairchild.
True, this is why Fairchild is strictly a Guard and not a Tackle like Rivers can be for us. Rivers has long arms and play LT.
Still, having longer arms does help OL just the way it is. Ratledge might struggle in the NFL as he has pretty short arms, we will see.
