Ohio State Football: Two Buckeye offensive linemen drafted
With Michael Jordan and Isaiah Prince coming off the board it’s the second straight year two Ohio State offensive linemen have been chosen in the NFL Draft.
Ohio State center Billy Price was the 21st pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in last year’s NFL Draft and tackle Jamarco Jones was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round. Now two of their former teammates will be playing on Sundays as well.
Michael Jordan, who replaced Price at center last season, was chosen in the fourth round and will be joining him in Cincinnati. Isaiah Prince was chosen in the sixth round by the Miami Dolphins.
Jordan’s journey from high school to the pros is an interesting one. He was a four-star offensive tackle when he joined the 2016 Ohio State recruiting class, and he was from Canton, Michigan.
It didn’t take long for people to forget about what state he grew up in though. He enrolled early and was so impressive during spring practices he was the favorite to be the starting left guard entering fall camp, and he earned the spot.
He became the first true freshman offensive lineman to start for the Buckeyes since Orlando Pace in 1994.
He played well for two years at guard but with Price graduating he moved to center last season to fill the void. He performed so well he was named an SI first team All-American.
Jordan will almost certainly play guard for the Bengals but he will be a great emergency backup at center if Price gets nicked up.
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Prince was a three starter for Ohio State at right tackle and his progression the last two years has been significant.
As a sophomore he performed well early on but struggled when opposing defensive coordinators exploited his weaknesses the second half of the season. He went to work to improve his pass blocking and has had two strong seasons since.
Prince performed so well his senior year he was named first team All-Big Ten, and I think at some point he will be considered a steal as a sixth round pick.
Next. Another DBU grad will play on Sundays. dark
Ohio State has been known for providing the NFL with outstanding linemen over the years. Michael Jordan and Isaiah Prince are two more Slobs who have the potential to be very good ones as well.