Jackson Carman still listed as Bengals LG starter for Week 2 of preseason

The Cincinnati Bengals’ depth chart for Week 2 of preseason holds very few surprises and has Jackson Carman being listed as the starting left guard…for now.

One poor preseason performance does not make a poor player, but Carman needs to step up his game in a big way to keep his starting job.

Cincy recently released their depth chart and kept Carman as the starting left guard despite Carman’s atrocious play against the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason opener. The rest of the offensive line explains itself: Jonah Williams at left tackle, Ted Karras at center, Alex Cappa at right guard, and La’el Collins at right tackle.

Currenly, Carman’s position remains the most tenuous on the offensive line, and a string of inconsistent performances could see the second-year lineman fall back on the depth chart.

Cincinnati Bengals still have faith in left guard Jackson Carman for 2022

Behind Carman, Cordell Volson and Lamont Gaillard sit as backup options; of the two, Volson has been enjoying the far better camp and took first-team snaps on Sunday and Monday. The fourth-rounder has garnered praise from veterans and coaches alike this summer and could steal a starting job from right under Carman’s nose.

In the Bengals’ second preseason game, the starting offensive linemen, save for Carman, will likely sit out for extra precaution, but the left guard competition will be one battle to monitor very closely.

Lamont Gaillard, originally a sixth-round pick of the Cardinals back in 2019, spent most of 2021 on the Bengals’ practice squad but could receive plenty of opportunities to prove his starting-caliber value before the start of the 2022 season.

As it stands though, Carman leads the pack as the favorite for the starting left guard job with Volson trailing not too far behind.

Will we see a dramatic shake-up in the offensive line in the coming weeks?