Bengals receive painful grades for Demetrius Knight, Dylan Fairchild picks

The Cincinnati Bengals are certainly not one of the big winners when it comes to NFL draft grades.

Those in charge of grades were all over the place after the team took Texas A&M pass-rusher Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

It’s a similar story for Cincinnati’s Day 2 picks, where they grabbed linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round and then addressed the offensive line in front of Joe Burrow with guard Dylan Fairchild in the third round.

For better or worse, the Bengals are adamantly sticking to their chosen way to build a roster, no matter how it looks in terms of value. And for better or worse, it’s showing up in the NFL draft grades.

USA Today

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz at USA Today gave the Bengals a B grade for the Fairchild pick, but assigned a C+grade to Knight while writing this:

“Some help at the second level definitely belonged on the Bengals’ to-do list, but perhaps not this high. Knight can be an active presence against the run, but he could be exploited if tasked with too many man coverage looks.”

Yahoo Sports

Charles McDonald at Yahoo Sports threw out a D grade for the Knight pick before a B- for Fairchild:

“This is rich for Knight. New Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden is flexible, but he played man-to-man a majority of the time at Notre Dame, and Knight’s lack of speed and quickness could cost him there. The Bengals need defense, though, and clearly felt good enough about Knight to select him higher than his general third-round projection.”

Sports Illustrated

Matt Verderame at SI had a C- on Knight and a B on Fairchild:

“With 24 collegiate starts, perhaps Fairchild could be a candidate for a starting spot on the Bengals’ shaky offensive line. Fairchild was a Second-Team All-American last season.”

The Athletic

Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman at The Athletic actually put a B grade on both picks for the Bengals, praising Knight as just what the rebuilding defense needs:

“Knight has taken a fascinating path to the NFL. After seeing limited action through three-plus seasons at Georgia Tech, Knight transferred to Charlotte in 2023 and reinvigorated his career. Last year at South Carolina, he had 82 tackles, including eight for loss. He brings toughness to a defense that needs it.“

Pro Football Network

Pro Football Network put a C+ grade on Knight but went all the way up to an A for Fairchild:

“Fairchild is a high-IQ prospect known for his physicality and aggression. Refreshingly, his quick feet and hands make him a plus in pass protection. That’s a huge need after the Bengals’ guards combined to allow the most pressures in 2024.”

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals get painful grades for Demetrius Knight, Dylan Fairchild picks

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