Bengals rookie UDFA reportedly turns outstanding preseason into a spot on initial 53-man roster

Cincinnati Bengals rookie linebacker Maema Njongmeta appears to be sticking around.

Per The Draft Network 's Justin Melo, Njongmeta is at Bengals practice Tuesday morning, a sign that he survived roster cuts and made the initial 53-man roster.

Njongmeta was one of 14 players the Bengals signed as undrafted free agents earlier this offseason following the 2024 NFL Draft. The rookie out of Wisconsin made an instant impact during his first two preseason games, totaling 18 tackles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears. He followed that with 11 tackles against the Indianapolis Colts in the preseason finale, giving him the most total tackles out of any linebacker in the preseason.

Every one of them felt memorable with how much power Njongmeta imposed on each ballcarrier.

The tape painted Njongmeta as a downhill thumper with much to prove . It looks to be enough to make the initial roster.

It's unclear how many linebackers Cincinnati plans to keep, but the number is at least four with starters Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt , and Akeem Davis-Gaither secured in the top three on the depth chart.

Njongmeta was competing with Joe Bachie, Shaka Heyward, and Devin Harper for one of the final spots at the position. It's unlikely the Bengals end up carrying six backers on the roster, so two of those names are on track to being cut.

There's a decent chance Njongmeta is the only UDFA the Bengals initially signed after the draft to make the team. Punter Ryan Rehkow was originally a UDFA signing of the Kansas City Chiefs, but he's also in line for a roster spot.

Related: All 10 draft picks survive cutdown day in final 2024 Bengals 53-man roster prediction