Cincinnati Bengals’ top-graded pass blockers so far offers surprises

Who would have bet on these guys being the best Bengals pass-blockers so far?

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Don’t look now, but some unexpected names are popping up with big performances for the embattled Cincinnati Bengals offensive line this preseason.

Michael Jordan, a shocker as the No. 1 guard on the depth chart to start training camp, has been the team’s top-rated pass-blocker this preseason, earning an 85.5 grade over 25 pass-blocking snaps.

And it’s fourth-round rookie D’Ante Smith, not another notable name, with the team’s second-highest grade in this category at an 84.8.

These aren’t the biggest sample sizes, of course. But it only affirms what the Bengals saw when making Jordan the first-string guard on the depth chart and quickly giving the rookie Smith more attention on the field.

At the end of the day, maybe neither guy makes the cut as a starter on opening day. But the guard spot — and line as a whole — appears to be in a much better spot right now than it was this time last year.

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