Bengals UDFA Carson Wells is a name to watch at LB

The 2022 NFL Draft came and went and Colorado linebacker Carson Wells didn’t hear his name called. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a UDFA and could be a feisty addition to this roster.

Wells, who clocks in at 6’4″ and 250 pounds, played four years of college ball at Colorado. This past year, he had a career-high 51 tackles with 13.5 of those coming for loss. He totaled 5.5 sacks, three defended passes, and an interception through 12 games.

The year prior through just six games, the Buffalo linebacker had 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss, proving he can pack a serious punch if given the chance.

Bengals UDFA Carson Wells could be fun to watch

The Bengals’ linebacker corps surprised last year and the entire group is coming back again for the 2022 season. Led by Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt, the unit improved mightily from 2020 and it’s possible that Wells could work his way in as a third-string option behind Akeem Davis-Gaither and Markus Bailey.

Wells’ biggest competition this summer will be Clay Johnston and Joe Bachie, two guys who joined the Bengals last season and played well when called upon. The linebacker position felt like a next man-up mentality when Wilson and Davis-Gaither were forced to miss time and the reserves didn’t disappoint.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com notes that Wells won’t be anything more than a backup but that’s not a shock with an undrafted player. Here’s more from Zierlein:

"Wells has played as an edge defender but appears to be much better suited for consideration as a 4-3 Sam linebacker as a pro. He has good play strength and excellent eyes with the ability to process and respond to play design like an inside linebacker. He’s slow-twitch, which limits his pursuit range, but he’s been a consistent tackler throughout his career and has used his recognition talent to make more plays than his athletic profile would indicate."

The competition at linebacker is stiff but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Carson Wells impress and work his way up the depth chart.

If nothing else, the stripes will have a nice practice squad linebacker to turn to in case of injuries.