The Cincinnati Bengals could use some help at the linebacker position, even after the 2021 NFL Draft. Their linebacker unit is pretty young and could use a more experienced veteran at the position simply to help out the younger guys already with the team.
Here are the linebackers listed on the Bengals’ official roster:
The Cincinnati Bengals have just six linebackers currently on their roster.
The Bengals took Wilson in the third round of last year’s draft out of Wyoming and he played well as a rookie, totaling 33 tackles and a sack through 12 games (starting two). He showed enough as a rookie to propel him into a starter’s role for 2021.
Pratt, another former third-round pick, is the other likely starter. He played in all 16 games last year, starting 15 of them, and had 89 total tackles while defending two passes. The NC State product is a tackling machine and the Bengals need that at the linebacker position.
The other four guys will be battling it out for roster spots.
- Bailey was taken in the seventh round out of Purdue in last year’s draft and appeared in 11 games as a rookie.
- Davis-Gaither was taken in the fourth round and had 0.5 sacks to go along with 31 tackles through 16 games and two starts. He should find his way onto the roster as a depth piece.
- Evans had two sacks through 15 games last year and is entering his fifth year with the Bengals.
- Jones appeared in just two games as a rookie last year.
As I mentioned above, the Bengals have a young group of linebackers with the longest-tenured one being Evans, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The rest of them were taken in the last two years and are still trying to earn their stripes in the league.
Wilson and Pratt are the likely starters and Wilson, in particular, played well in 2020. The rookie out of Wyoming showed promise and now as he enters his second year in the league, hopefully, he can help the Bengals defense become a more fearsome unit.
Don’t be surprised if the Bengals seek help at linebacker prior to training camp and the preseason. Justin Houston and K.J. Wright are a few names to watch for when it comes to adding help at the linebacker position.