PFF guard rankings: Where does Alex Cappa land?

Offensive guard was a bit of a weakness on the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line in 2021. Shuffling players in and out, back issues with second round pick Jackson Carman lead to inconsistent play all season long.

When the negotiation window opened in March, the team was set on improving that and a deal with Alex Cappa was announced. Regarded as a good signing by just about everyone, the Bengals landed a starting-caliber guard who spent time playing with Tom Brady.

Recently, Pro Football Focus released their 2022 offensive guard rankings, giving us all a chance to see how they view Cappa.

TIER 4: SOLID STARTERS

• TREY SMITH, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
• CONNOR WILLIAMS, MIAMI DOLPHINS
• CODY WHITEHAIR, CHICAGO BEARS
• MATT FEILER, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
• JAMES DANIELS, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
• ALEX CAPPA, CINCINNATI BENGALS
• WES SCHWEITZER, WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
• AUSTIN CORBETT, CAROLINA PANTHERS
• RODGER SAFFOLD, BUFFALO BILLS
• ALIJAH VERA-TUCKER, NEW YORK JETS

Based on Cappa’s career numbers and the formula they use, PFF ranks Cappa in the “Solid Starter” tier, the fourth tier on the list. While there may be an argument, based on multiple factors for Cappa to bum up a tier to “very good,” this seems to be a fair ranking. With the struggles from the position group, specifically at right guard where Cappa plays, a solid starter is a significant improvement from the play we saw last season.

With Hakeem Adeniji playing most of the year at a position he had never played and Carman struggling to stay on the field even when healthy, the right guard spot never seemed to have much of a chance last season. Cappa manning that spot should provide a significant upgrade.