Bengals LB depth chart predictions after 2022 NFL Draft

Third-Stringers: Clay Johnston and Joe Bachie

Next up on the depth chart are Clay Johnston and Joe Bachie, both of whom joined the Bengals last season after playing elsewhere.

Johnston is a former seventh-round pick out of Baylor by the Rams in 2020. He never ended up playing a snap for the Rams, however, and instead, joined the Panthers in the 2020 season (following Matt Rhule there from Baylor). He ended up with the Bengals in November after the Panthers waived him and Cincinnati scooped him up.

Johnston was mostly present on special teams, appearing in 68% of the special teams snaps to just 11% of defensive snaps during his inaugural year in Cincinnati. This is pretty typical of a third-string linebacker.

Bachie went undrafted out of Michigan State and played for the Eagles in 2020. He appeared in four games that year and then joined the Bengals last summer. Bachie played in nine games for Cincinnati this past season and appeared 57% of the special teams snaps to 27% of the defensive snaps. He’ll continue to be a key depth piece for the team in 2022.