Bengals Who Could Disappoint in 2021
2. Jackson Carman – Right Guard
Jackson Carman has not had the best start to the season, as he was not in shape when he arrived at training camp. When the first depth chart was revealed, he was at third on the depth chart. It might be hard to argue that another rookie who was drafted in the second round could disappoint but this is why people may perceive his season as a disappointment.
First, when the Bengals got the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, many people including myself were hoping to get Penei Sewell out of Oregon. When they announced Ja’Marr Chase, I was confused. We didn’t need more depth at receiver. The Bengals’ main concern was the offensive line.
However, the Bengals front office and coaching staff clearly thought Chase and Burrow’s history at LSU could provide a spark on offense. So, the Bengals traded with the Patriots and moved down to 46th pick and added two extra fourth-round picks.
Chris Trapasso at CBS Sports gave out grades to first-round rookies and Chase and Sewell received nearly identical grades of D+ and D respectively. Maybe that pick won’t come back to haunt the Bengals but it is still early in eaches career to say definitively.
With the 46th pick, the Bengals took Jackson Carman. Some like Adam Haste of Cincy Jungle saying he was a reach, mainly due to surgery on his back. Carman maintained he was 100% and ready to go.
With Sewell being compared to Orlando Pace, he could’ve provided much-needed stability on the offensive line. Now, Bengals fans will compare Carman, Chase, and Sewell’s careers against each other.
Also, Jackson Carman played tackle in college and now he is being moved to guard. This will always present issues for any player who has to switches positions. It does look like he is beginning to understand his role at the guard position.
According to Stipe Hype’s Leigh Oleszczak, Jackson improved in Week 2 against Washington. Hopefully, this trend continues. Otherwise, Jackson will find himself sitting behind Michael Jordan and Xavier Su’a-Filo on the depth chart. A second-round rookie being third-string on the depth chart isn’t ideal.