After missing his full freshman season Pugh was left with a year of eligibility left. However, he chose to go to for the 2013 Madden 23 coins Draft in the 2013 Madden NFL 23 Draft with an academic degree already earned.

With several positions in question on the offensive line Pugh looks to have an opportunity to start in his first season. David Diehl needs to be upgraded as a right tackle but Pugh is an incredibly versatile lineman who could play anywhere on the offensive line in front of.

In a scouting report for Gang Green Nation, the following were classified as positives for Pugh:

Exceptional pass protector who has an excellent balance, and can manage the ability to mimic passers to keep them out of the backfield. With excellent hands, he sets and then re-sets in the event of being they are rocked. He also sinks his hips in counter-power moves, and seldom gets knocked away from the goal line. The pass-protection he provides is among the best in the nation. Good power in line blocking and performs well in open spaces, has excellent balance and initial surge to make defenders fall back, strong lateral skill to keep on the edge. He can go to the next level and plays to the whistle, good Blitz recognition, and his coaches have commented on how his ability to grasp the blocking schemes quickly. Finishes his blocks and shows a toughness and core strength which will make him a promising player at either the left as well as the right-hand tackle.

Although he was a good left tackle at Syracuse however, his shorter arms and a less-than-awesome performance at the 2013 Senior Bowl have led many to expect Pugh to move to the inside and play guard. The other issue is a shoulder operation that forced him to miss the initial four games of the 2012 season. But, if both those are successful, Pugh has plenty of potential and could be just as good as offensive tackle from the draft class.

The Bengals had to drop a difficult opening game of the season against Chicago Bears but followed that up with mut coins buy two great wins over The Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.