The Cincinnati Bengals inevitably find one or two undrafted free agents every NFL Draft cycle who manage to rise above the common rabble and show they can be viable pro players. It just so happens that Zac Taylor found one of those players on the defensive side of the ball this season.
While the solid 1-2 punch of Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson will again be the starting linebackers, this defense could do with some added depth behind those two. Former Wisconsin star Maema Njongmeta has proven to be more than capable of filling that role in the preseason.
After a very productive preseason in which he was flying around and hitting anything that moved, Njongmeta has officially overcome the odds. He was allowed to show up at team meetings, providing a strong indication that he made it onto the team's final 53-man roster.
Njongmeta confirmed that he is sticking around with a post on Instagram, showing that he has a Bengals locker with No. 45 on it. After being overlooked due to concerns about his overall size and speed, Njongmeta showed that football intelligence and hustle is enough to make a final roster.
BREAKING: #Bengals UDFA LB Maema Njongmeta is present at today's meetings and appears to have made the initial 53 man roster, source said.@The_Maema has been OUTSTANDING throughout the preseason and has been rewarded.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) August 27, 2024
Ex @BadgerFootball was a @Hula_Bowl + @ShrineBowl standout.
LB Maema Njonmeta makes Bengals final 53-man roster
Njongmeta was a productive player for the Badgers, as he was a two-year starter who piled up 154 tackles and 6.5 sacks between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. One of the leaders of a very stingy defense, Njongmeta was tasked primarily with being a solid run-stuffer.
The reason Njongmeta went undrafted was his athleticism, as a 4.8 40-yard dash at just around 230 pounds is not very attractive for coaches in a pass-happy NFL. The Bengals were not deterred by this facet of his player profile, picking him up as an undrafted free agent and watching him cook.
Bengals fans should get used to Njongmeta playing on special teams for most of his rookie season with Cincinnati, as the established starters alongside backup Akeem Davis-Gaither will provide most of the defensive snaps. Njongmeta has shown, however, that he can be effective up the middle when his number is called.
Njongmeta has a long way to go when it comes to establishing himself as a playmaker in one of the AFC's youngest and best defenses. However, so few undrafted free agents make 53-man rosters, and Njongmeta has already proven to be one of the best of the bunch in the preseason.