Jackson Carman was accused of rape prior to being drafted by Bengals, per report

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Clemson offensive tackle Jackson Carman with the 46th overall pick.

Now, a report from Kalyn Kahler of Defector has emerged that details a rape allegation made against Carman while he was still at Clemson in 2020.

Per Kahler’s report, the alleged rape happened in May of 2018 when the accuser, who is referred to as Jane Doe in this report, was 15 years old, while Carman was 18. Carman had enrolled early at Clemson that year, so he was already settled in on the school’s campus.

Kahler also notes that NFL teams weren’t aware of the allegation for most of the pre-draft process that year, but some teams discovered it right before the 2021 draft. It’s unclear if the Bengals were aware of the allegation. The team did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Defector, and they also did not respond to a request to interview Carman.

It’s a very graphic report that you’ll want to brace yourself for before reading, but it’s something that must heard and addressed by the Bengals as soon as possible.

Be sure to read the full report here. And we will update this story as more details emerge.