The Cincinnati Bengals may have landed the steal of the draft. Offensive Lineman Brian Parker II is impressing a lot of people around the league.
Brian Parker II was selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Duke’s Brian Parker II was one of the more underrated interior offensive linemen prospects. He played tackle throughout his entire college career but is making the permanent move inside due to physical shortcomings. Parker projects to play the position with sound technique and excellent body control. That’s just the way he’s wired.” Justin Melo wrote in a Sports Illustrated article.
Parker was considered one of the versatile offensive linemen in the draft but somehow fell to the sixth round.
Protecting Joe Burrow Must Be a Priority in 2026
The Cincinnati Bengals offensive line hasn’t been exactly turning heads since Joe Burrow got drafted. Even if people have turned their heads, it was in the opposition direction because of how poorly the offensive line has been.
One could argue that Joe Burrow hasn’t been able to stay healthy because of his offensive line. It still remains a miracle that Burrow led his team to the Super Bowl in 2021 with the offensive line he had. Nonetheless, he was able to overcome.
However, …
Things haven’t necessarily been working out for Cincinnati for the past three years. As horrid as their defense has been for the past three years, it kind of overshadowed the Bengals offensive line.
The Bengals offensive line ranked 26th in the NFL in 2023. In 2024, they ranked 25th in the NFL. In 2025, they made a huge improvement by being ranked 7th in offensive line in the NFL.
Joe Burrow getting hurt at the beginning of the year did not help at all. Burrow missed at least three quarters of the season last year due to a turf toe injury. Unfortunately–even though the offense seemed to be clicking–the Cincy defense was still horrid.
The Cincinnati Bengals ranked 26th in passing defense in 2025. Their inconsistent play in the secondary has lost the team a lot of games. They ranked 31st in total defense in 2025 and 32nd in rushing defense which is dead last.
Burrow Says This is Most Talented Roster Since He’s Been Here
Though the defense was horrid in 2025, the Bengals made moves this offseason which increased their chances of winning.
In the ultimate gamble, the Bengals traded their 2026 first round pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence has been a dominant run-stuffer since coming into the league.
This signing definitely has Joe Burrow feeling good entering the 2026 season. “Joe Cool” made comments regarding where the Bengals stand as a roster.
“I think this is the most talented roster that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Burrow said last month during a press conference.
“[We] got better at a lot of positions. Signed the best free agent safety. Got the best d-tackle in the league, in my opinion,” Burrow said. “We have a lot of depth now in the defensive line. That’s exciting, not just for me, but for those guys, so they don’t have to play as many snaps. We can have more of a rotation.”
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