Bengals: Jackson Carman needs to start at right guard moving forward

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Jackson Carman in the second round of this year’s draft and despite a rough go of it during training camp, he’s worked his way into the starting lineup. Xavier Su’a-Filo wasn’t healthy enough to start for Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh, so that led to Carman getting his first glimpse of action as a pro offensive lineman.

The end result was a very good one, as Carman dominated in his role as the Bengals’ starting right guard. According to PFF College, Carman allowed zero pressures and zero sacks during his time on the field. Considering this came against a Steelers defense who were riding a 75-game sack streak, that’s highly impressive even if Pittsburgh was missing some key pieces.

Carman and the entire Cincinnati offensive line played well, keeping Joe Burrow upright and his jersey clean. As a result, Burrow threw for three touchdowns and dazzled with the extra time his line provided him with. It was a beautiful sight.

Jackson Carman needs to be the Bengals right guard from now on.

Su’a-Filo might be a nice veteran to have on the team but there’s no reason to pull Carman after how well he performed on Sunday. Maybe he struggles a bit against tougher defenses but that’s to be expected from a rookie who is playing in a new role.

For now, however, Carman proved that he can handle starting at right guard. He pitched a shutout in his first-ever start at guard and here’s to hoping he can gel well with this offensive line moving forward.