As training camp nears for the Cincinnati Bengals, we're going to take a look at the most intriguing positional battles all over the roster. Whether they're at the top or near the bottom of the depth chart, jobs will be on the line starting this month.

The Bengals did a revamping of their offensive line in 2022 by bringing in right tackle La'el Collins, center Ted Karras, and right guard Alex Cappa. There was improvement among the unit last season but it was apparent that more work needed to be done after they gave up 44 sacks. 

Cincinnati signed four-time Pro Bowler Orlando Brown Jr. to be the new head honcho at left tackle. However, it created a very intriguing battle on the other side of the offense line.

Starting Right Tackle Candidates

La’el Collins

Collins had one of his better seasons in terms of his run-blocking grade in 2022 with a 73.5 according to Pro Football Focus, but his 44.2 pass-blocking grade was the worst of his career. Also, his seven penalties were the second-most he’s committed. 

In addition to this, Collins is battling back from a torn ACL/MCL that he suffered last December, and Jonah Williams, who was the team's starter at left tackle, has now switched to the right side after the signing of Brown which creates more competition for Collins. 

When healthy, Collins is a better player than Williams. However, knee injuries can be tricky to bounce back from, and a motivated Williams won't make it any easier for Collins to regain the spot he once owned. 

Jonah Williams

It was a total shock to Williams when the Bengals brought in Brown, mainly because he wasn’t told anything about a position switch beforehand. It even made Williams desire a trade. 

Cooler heads have prevailed now and Williams is ready to get to work at the right tackle. Williams has played on right side before but not since his freshman year at Alabama. So this will be a challenging transition in a way depsite his background there.

Williams gave up 12 sacks and allowed 43 pressures in 2022 and he also had career low marks in pass-blocking and run-blocking grades as well. If that continues, Williams will not only be on the bench but likely out of Cincinnati. 

Jackson Carman

The fans of the Bengals didn’t like that the team took Carman in the second round in 2021. He wasn’t good in his six starts and didn’t give a lot of hope for things changing last season. 

Those forgetful moments came at guard, but now the Bengals are trying to create a spark in Carman by giving him the chance to compete at right tackle. It's highly unlikely that Carman beats out Collins or Williams, but if he can show some juice, the Bengals can at least have some confidence in him if he has to fill in because of an injury or whatnot.

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The Bengals have one of the NFL's better offenses but their line play continues to be a question mark. In a league with a ton of premium edge rushers, nailing the tackle spots is crucial. 

Williams probably has the advantage at the moment just off the fact that he's healthier than Collins. But if Collins heals at the right rate, Williams will have his work cut out for him to secure the starting jib.

As far as Jackson goes, he'll need to perform at an extremely high level, and unfortunately, hope for an injury to Williams or Collins to contribute in a big way in 2023.

ESPN pegs Bengals veteran as weakness unless he can adjust to major change

He needs immense improvement.

Feature image via Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK