Bengals rookie report card for 2022 season

Cordell Volson

Nobody thought much of it when the Bengals drafted Volson in the fourth round. Most figured he'd be a backup option on the offensive line but the North Dakota State product ended up winning the left guard job over Jackson Carman.

Bengals fans loved what Volson did as a rookie and don't get me wrong, he played well considering the circumstances. That being said, Volson wasn't perfect. PFF wasn't a big fan of him, giving him grades of 51.6 (overall), 52.9 (pass-blocking), and 51.2 (run-blocking). He allowed five sacks and was flagged five times.

In the playoffs, Volson received better grades in each department and it was clear that he was playing much better.

Final grade: Despite what PFF says, Volson was solid. I'll give him a B+ because he was a fourth-round pick who won the starting job and played decently.

Jeff Gunter

Seventh-round pick Jeff Gunter played in 10 games and looked to be on his way to an impressive season, at least for someone who wasn't drafted until the final round. He was mostly a special teams guy but did tally an assisted tackle in the comeback win against Tampa Bay.

Unfortunately, Gunter battled injuries in 2022 so we didn't get to see too much from him. His best PFF grade was as a run defender in which he earned a 59.4 mark.

Final grade: As mentioned, we didn't get to see a ton from Gunter. I'll give him a C+ because he had some decent plays but was injured throughout the season.