The Cincinnati Bengals had a period of several years during which they drafted very well, leading fans of divisional opponents in particular to seemingly fear that every selection they made would be another standout. While they have the best team they’ve had in a long time right now, however, their drafts have not been unimpeachable.
Indeed, outside of some early big hits like QB Joe Burrow (first overall), WR Ja’Marr Chase (fifth), and WR Tee Higgins (33rd), the drafts under head coach Zac Taylor have not been extraordinarily bountiful. Sure, there are other good players in there like ILB Logan Wilson and other notable contributors, but there’s a reason the Bengals have been building through free agency.
One of their most recent high draft picks seems to be heading quickly toward bust territory, and that’s 2021 second-round OL Jackson Carman. While he was not expected to start as a rookie, he has now lost battles for starting jobs in consecutive seasons.
It’s a regular topic in Cincinnati, enough that executive Duke Tobin was asked about it during the broadcast of the team’s final preseason game, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby. On Carman, he said that the Bengals “believe there’s a role” for him, and that “It’s just a matter of being consistent of being down after down. And we still believe in him”.
But do they? Granted, he’s not in any significant danger of being cut, though it wouldn’t be a shock if they tried to trade him at this point if there were any buyers. He has had three seasons now to develop into a starter anywhere along the line and he hasn’t.
Although Cincinnati has bolstered its offensive line via free agency the past two offseasons with Orlando Brown Jr., Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, and La’el Collins, Carman has lost out to former draft picks. 2022 fourth-round pick Cordell Volson outplayed him last year for the left guard job. This year, he challenged Jonah Williams at right tackle after Williams himself was moved from left tackle and lost again.
Carman only played in three games last season with no starts, logging four snaps. He played 462 snaps as a rookie after being thrust into the starting lineup late in the year due to Collins’ injury, which has the veteran still out.
The 46th-overall pick in 2021 out of Clemson is listed as the second-string right tackle on the Bengals’ depth chart on their website, with Hakeem Adeniji at left tackle behind Brown. Adeniji will be their swing tackle.
Collins is still expected back at some point this season, at which point you have to question whether there is going to be a roster spot for Carman. They already have Max Scharping and Trey Hill as interior reserves. He is probably the ninth lineman right now and should be expected to be a healthy scratch.
