Joe Walter was a seventh-round pick in 1985 and became a cornerstone of the franchise's offensive line. Over a 13-year career spent entirely in Cincinnati, Walter established himself as a reliable, tough-as-nails anchor at right tackle.

At 6 feet 6 inches and 295 pounds, Walter had exceptional length, strong lateral footwork, and a heavy anchor in pass protection. After adjusting to the professional game during his 1985 rookie campaign, he claimed the starting right tackle spot in 1986 and held onto the position for the next decade.

Walter experienced his most distinguished individual season in 1988, establishing a formidable partnership with Anthony Muñoz. He commenced all 16 games as right tackle, achieving a personal record with a double-digit Approximate Value rating, while effectively creating running lanes for Ickey Woods and James Brooks and safeguarding Boomer Esiason during Cincinnati’s advancement to Super Bowl XXIII.

Despite battling a severe knee injury in 1993, Walter’s durability and veteran leadership kept him in the starting lineup through 1996. He transitioned to a valuable reserve and mentor role for his final season in 1997 before hanging up his cleats, leaving as one of the longest-tenured offensive linemen in franchise history.  Walter started 136 games for the squad.

With the fourth-round pick (100th overall), the Bengals selected Rudi Johnson of Auburn. Johnson arrived in Cincinnati as an intense, physical runner. Armed with explosive lower-body power, vision through the tackles, and a punishing finish at the second level, Johnson became the primary backfield anchor during the franchise’s mid-2000s resurgence under Marvin Lewis.

Johnson spent his first two NFL seasons biding his time behind Corey Dillon, contributing primarily as a special teams returner. His opportunity arrived in 2003, when Dillon battled injuries. Johnson stepped into the feature role and seized it, rushing for 957 yards and nine touchdowns in nine starts. When Cincinnati parted ways with Dillon after the season, the backfield belonged to Rudi.

Between 2004 and 2006, Johnson established one of the most prolific multi-year periods in the history of the team by a running back. He received his sole career Pro Bowl selection in 2004, during which he set a then-franchise record with 1,454 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2005, he accumulated 1,458 rushing yards and an additional 12 touchdowns, significantly contributing to Cincinnati’s first AFC North championship and playoff appearance in fifteen years. In 2006, he achieved his third consecutive season with over 1,300 rushing yards, totaling 1,309 yards, and notably equaled his exact number of 12 rushing touchdowns for the third consecutive season.

Hamstring issues derailed his momentum in 2007, limiting him to 497 yards. Following the emergence of Chris Perry and the arrival of rookie Cedric Benson, the Bengals released Johnson prior to the 2008 season. He spent one final campaign with the Detroit Lions before retiring from the NFL.

With Cincinnati, Johnson compiled 5,742 rushing yards and 48 rushing touchdowns.

The Bengals from Syracuse selected Dave Lapham in the third round (48th overall), recognizing his versatility and strength as an offensive lineman. During his decade-long career in Queen City, Lapham established himself as a key player in the trenches and later became the iconic media voice of the franchise for fans across generations.

Standing tall at 6 feet 4 inches and weighing 260 pounds, Lapham brought impressive footwork, a sharp football IQ, and an adaptable approach to Paul Brown’s offense. After serving as a key interior backup during his rookie year in 1974, he proudly earned the starting right guard spot in 1975. Lapham held onto this position for five exciting seasons (1975–1979), providing solid protection for quarterbacks Ken Anderson and Virgil Carter, while also creating openings for Pete Johnson. His outstanding performances in the late 1970s led to consecutive seasons with double-digit Approximate Value, according to pro football historians.

After returning to a reserve utility role in 1980, Lapham regained the starting right guard position in 1981 under head coach Forrest Gregg. He was a key member of the "Freezer Bowl" offensive line, contributing to Cincinnati’s first AFC Championship and their appearance in Super Bowl XVI. He stayed a regular starter on the interior line until the 1983 season, after which he left the Bengals to play two final seasons with the USFL's New Jersey Generals.

Following his retirement from the field, Lapham seamlessly stepped into the broadcast booth, becoming the color analyst for the Bengals Radio Network in 1986—a post he held for decades as the soundtrack of Cincinnati football. Over his career, Lapham played in 140 regular-season games (105 starts) and four playoff contests, lining up at guard, tackle, and center whenever duty called.

This one should be interesting.

Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State in 2012, Vontaze Burfict arrived in Cincinnati with a reputation as a volatile, first-round talent whose draft stock plummeted following a disastrous Combine and off-field concerns. In Southern Ohio, Burfict evolved into one of the most brilliant—and deeply controversial—defensive linebackers of his generation, serving as the ferocious center of Marvin Lewis's defense.

At 6 feet 1 inch and 248 pounds, Burfict possessed elite football IQ, rapid-fire processing, and a bone-crushing physical presence over the middle. He cracked the starting lineup at weakside linebacker by Week 3 of his 2012 rookie campaign, compiling 127 combined tackles. He elevated his game to an all-pro level in 2013, leading the entire NFL with 171 combined tackles while adding 3.0 sacks and an interception. His dominant sophomore masterclass earned him First-Team All-Pro honors and his sole career Pro Bowl selection.

However, Burfict’s relentless style routinely crossed the threshold of legal play, resulting in a career defined as much by league discipline as elite instincts. After a severe concussion and knee surgery limited him to five games in 2014, he returned in 2015 to anchor another playoff run. That season ended in infamy during the 2015 AFC Wild Card Game against Pittsburgh, where Burfict delivered a brutal late hit to a defenseless Antonio Brown. The ensuing 15-yard penalty, paired with an unsportsmanlike conduct flag on Adam Jones, gifted the Steelers 30 field position yards to kick the game-winning field goal, cementing one of the most painful postseason collapses in Bengals history.

Suspensions for safety violations and banned substances repeatedly disrupted his availability over his final three seasons in Cincinnati (2016–2018). While his processing and diagnostic skills remained elite whenever he stepped on the field, he was never able to play a full 16-game slate again. Following the 2018 campaign, the Bengals released Burfict, and he spent one final, suspension-shortened season with the Oakland Raiders in 2019 before his NFL career ended.

Burfict played in 75 regular-season games (73 starts) and two playoff contests. He generated 604 combined tackles, 8.5 sacks, 34 tackles for loss, five interceptions, and four forced fumbles.