Bengals rookie Jackson Carman leans on Anthony Munoz for advice, guidance

“Duane Brown, Chris Myers,” said Su’a-Filo Tuesday, remembering the older vets that helped him. “There were a couple of guys a few years older who were real cool. Brandon Brooks. Derek Newton. They gave me advice on how to make sure to be a pro. Study habits. Taking care of their body.

“I’m just trying to do for Jackson what was done for me as a rookie,” Su’a-Filo said.

He appreciates it. Munoz talked about remaining “coachable,” and “teachable,” down through the years, no matter how many, and at 21 of them, Carman is more than smart enough to get all that. He can play half a dozen or so musical instruments and counting, so he’s spent his life getting taught.

“Coaches just tell me flat out you just have to take things one day at a time and build the plan and stack your chips every day,” said Carman, wearing a Juice WRLD T-Shirt honoring the late rapper. “Every day you come in, don’t make the same mistake you made yesterday and always be progressing. I think that’s something I’ve been working on this camp and been doing good.”

The transition is more complicated than most because he’s changing positions. As the left tackle at Clemson, he bloomed under the immense pressure of protecting Trevor Lawrence’s national championship blindside. Now he’s inside at guard against much stronger and older men.

“There’s really no one thing,” Carman said of the position switch. “It’s just everything in totality, just working on technique, learning the plays, just everything coming together.”

And then there is trying to find the right weight. People forget that he chose to play with an injured back until his Tigers won it all and that the surgery pretty much knocked him out of the pre-draft training loop. He protected Lawrence at about 330 pounds, but it’s a different game, now, where bulk isn’t always the answer.

“I’m still feeling where I want my weight, especially switching positions because I played at a different weight in college,” Carman said. “Still getting to that point exactly where I want to be and find out where my best playing weight is at. Come time for the season, it’ll be where it needs to be.”

Lapham, who played up and down the Bengals’ line for a decade and has spent the last four analyzing what has come after, is bullish on Carman.