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The Cincinnati Bengals made their first selection of day two in the NFL Draft in the form of Clemson Tigers guard Jackson Carman.
According to a report, Carman had back surgery this offseason that prevented him from participating in Clemson’s Pro Day back on March 11th. However, he later had a personal workout at the Tigers’ facility with representatives from roughly 18 NFL teams.
Despite the offseason surgery, head coach Zac Taylor said that Carman was the Bengals’ top target coming into Day 2 of the draft and would have taken him at 38 if they were not able to trade back.
Zac on the trade: We wanted Carman at 38, but felt like we had a chance to get him later and get some ammunition... Zac says he’ll compete immediately at guard but can play tackle
— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) May 1, 2021
Bengals say Carman was their man all along. They would have taken him at 38 if they couldn't move down nd get the extra picks. Well played... A lot of insiders think Carman could be a steal...
— George Vogel (@vogel_wlwt) May 1, 2021
During his college career at Clemson, Carman protected No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence’s blind side, but coach Taylor added that he is going to be competing at guard immediately but could “absolutely” play tackle at some point.
The Bengals were able to get the lineman they wanted and picks No. 122 (4th) and No. 139 (4th) from the New England Patriots.