Eight years in the NFL is a long time for a fourth-round pick. Being a starter for seven of those years is even more rare. Since the NFL Draft became just a seven-round affair in 1994, only 27 fourth-round picks have turned out to seven-year starters.
Since 2012, the left guard position was never a sore subject and never anything but an asset for the Bengals’ offensive line. Boling simply wouldn’t let that become a reality. He went from a welcomed change of pace from Nate Livings (ew) to one of the more unknown gems at the position in the entire league.