They also go into the offseason with their best offensive line in the Taylor Era in the fold and an emerging star in 2024 first-round pick Amarius Mims at right tackle. Going into Sunday’s season finale, Mims’ pass-rate efficiency rated sixth among tackles according to The Athletic and he didn’t allow any sacks or pressures in the game. 2025 third-round pick Dylan Fairchild was the second-highest graded qualified guard in pass blocking in his draft class, per Pro Football Focus. According to NFL historian Ryan Michael, the offensive line finished tied for 10th in NFL sack-percentage, the first time the Bengals finished in the top ten since 2014.
Mims and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. are key to the demanding one-on-one protections for Burrow’s pass-first offense. As well as something else that Brown feels Taylor’s program fosters.
“Culture,” Brown says. “It’s our foundation. As long as we have our leaders show up, and we do, that’s the key for the future.”
C Ted Karras points to Brown and others and says, “I think a big part of the (O-line) room’s success is that we do have veteran professionals leading the charge.”
The Bengals covet that consistency, and after an upheaval last offseason on the defensive side of the ball, it looks like they’re going to get it from an emerging core of young leaders and playmakers that led the defensive resurgence in those eight games after the bye.
The Bengals can go right down their 2023 draft board starting with first-round edge Myles Murphy. He had four of his career-high 5.5 sacks in those last eight games and went into Sunday’s finale working on a skein of games with multiple quarterback pressures.
Cornerback DJ Turner II, their Defensive Player of the Year, a second-rounder in 2023, was endorsed by Taylor, Burrow and defensive coordinator Al Golden for the Pro Bowl. He was voted an alternate, but the grades and numbers suggested much more. He led the NFL in passes defensed much of the season and recorded the most for the Bengals since the golden age of Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph on the 2009 corner.
And safety Jordan Battle, a third-round pick in 2023, led all NFL defensive backs in tackles and was the only DB to have at least four interceptions and 100 tackles.
That ’23 trio anchored a run that turned the ball over 13 times in the last seven games after the defense netted nine in the first 10 games. Sunday’s six-sack game against Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders was a season-high.
That kind of continuity that took off in the last half of the season with that blending of youth and experience seem to be the underpinnings of the offseason.
“We are taking a hard look at everything we do as we approach this offseason with focused determination to build a championship-caliber roster that wins consistently,” Brown said in the statement. “We are fully committed to delivering results that match the pride, passion and expectations of this organization and our fans.”