Training camp is officially in the books for the Cincinnati Bengals, and they'll be one of the first teams to wrap up preseason action when they face the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football.

Well over 40 roster spots are locked in for Cincinnati; the number is actually a lot closer to 50 if we're being honest. But the third and final preseason game matters to the handful of hopefuls still on the bubble.

Five players stand out as being truly on the bubble. This is what each of them needs to do in order to make the cut.

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LB Maema Njongmeta

The star of the preseason for Cincinnati is an undrafted free agent linebacker out of Wisconsin. Njongmeta leads the team with 13 tackles, and six of them have been defensive stops. While he isn't the most athletic player out in space, he's making a habit out of filling run fits with haste and driving through downhill tackles. In all the best ways, he's a reminder of what made Vontaze Burfict so good.  

For Njongmeta to make the team as a UDFA like Burfict did 12 years ago, the Bengals need to be convinced he has value on special teams, and that five linebackers are the right number to keep. There's no doubt about what the tape says about his play on defense, but special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons may have the final say on whether or not he needs to be kept on the roster.

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CB Jalen Davis

Special teams is mostly why Davis has stuck around for the last four years. He's a quality reserve in the slot behind Mike Hilton, but he has rarely seen the field on defense during the regular season and playoffs. Now that both Josh Newton and Daijahn Anthony are in the fold as rookie draft picks, Davis finds himself riding the cutline in a deep secondary.

Davis doesn't need to do anything more than what he's done since the 2021 offseason to make the team one last time. If the defense wants to keep six cornerbacks, he's in. If it comes down to five with DJ Ivey still on the Physically Unable to Perform list, it may be out of his control.  

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OL Trey Hill 

Guard/center versatility is what could keep Hill around for one more year. Rookie Matt Lee has only repped at center, and while he's on track to win the title of Ted Karras' backup, having a reserve who could play all three interior spots still has value. 

Hill was penalized three times last Saturday during Cincinnati's second preseason game. Putting up a clean sheet in terms of flags and pressures allowed in pass protection may go far in terms of keeping him on the team.

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OL Jaxson Kirkland

Hill might be trending down, but Kirkland's stock has only gone up in the past two weeks. He repped as the backup left guard during the start of training camp, and then was moved to left tackle last week to account for injuries at the position. He's safely ahead of Jackson Carman on the depth chart, but will it be enough to stay on?

One more quality outing Thursday night at either position he's practiced at should seal the deal for Kirkland. The ability to move inside and out has dramatically helped his case this month.

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TE Tanner McLachlan

The draft pick most likely to get cut is McLachlan, and that's not an indictment on him. Cincinnati has six tight ends on the current roster, and he's not in the top four on the depth chart. Five is a lot for a team to carry, plain and simple. 

Outside of a few names who need reps, none of the Bengals' main starters will play Thursday night. Tight ends Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample will be among those who watch the whole game. This will give McLachlan, who has been targeted just four times this month, one last chance to prove why he's worth holding onto an extra tight end. Even if he outperforms his main competition Tanner Hudson it may not be enough, but a dominant outing would make it hard for the Bengals to reclaim him on waivers. 

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