Overview
Position: Offensive guard/center
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 312 pounds
School: Ohio State Buckeyes
Billy Price 2018 NFL Draft Profile
Since Urban Meyer became Ohio State head coach in 2012, NFL teams have selected 37 former Buckeyes in the NFL draft. Six have been offensive linemen, including last year when center Pat Elflein went in the third round to the Minnesota Vikings. Elflein was a converted guard who ended up starting 14 games during his rookie season and both Vikings playoff games. Billy Price has the opportunity to follow a similar career trajectory beginning in 2018.
Price actually played on the other side of the ball in high school and came to Columbus as the nation’s 13th rated defensive tackle according to Rivals. But he transitioned to offensive line once on campus, using a redshirt year to familiarize himself with the role. Meyer fed him to the wolves in 2014 as an immediate starter. And though it did take him and the unit as a whole some time to work out some kinks, they realized significant improvement over the course of the season. In the end, the line played a key role in the Buckeyes unlikely run to the inaugural College Football Playoff national title.
Over the course of his college career, Price saw time at all three interior line positions. He played at left guard as a sophomore, moved over to the right-hand side a year later, then converted to center during his senior season. Each year saw him earn all-Big Ten honors with him making the first team as a junior and senior. During his final season in Scarlet and Gray, he took home the Rimington Trophy (college football’s top center) along with consensus All-American accolades. With his start in the Fiesta Bowl, he tied Elflein for most consecutive starts in Buckeye history (55).
Strengths
- four-year starter with as much playing experience as any prospect this year;
- freakish upper body and overall core strength;
- tough, gritty lineman who plays with focused aggression;
- operates from a sound base with good knee bend and leg drive;
- quickly anchors and engages square to the target in run support;
- solid football I.Q. comfortable in zone and gap blocking schemes;
- displayed versatility playing at both guard and center in college.
Weaknesses
- pad level tends to get too upright in pass protection;
- struggled to diagnose exotic pressure schemes and delayed blitzes from linebackers;
- players with active, violent hands can neutralize his pass blocking ability;
- footwork tends to become erratic when pulling to the outside;
- upper and lower body can become out of whack when redirecting;
- gets a little lost when down blocking in the second level.
NFL Comparison: Cody Whitehair
Teams With Need at Position: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins
Projection: Second round
Bottom Line
Price looks to join Elflein and other ex-Buckeye offensive linemen such as Taylor Decker, Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley who are all regular contributors for their respective NFL teams. His combination of experience, toughness and prodigious play strength makes him arguably the best center prospect in this year’s draft. An impressive Combine, where he could challenge the bench press record, might consolidate his status as a day one selection. That said, Price needs to hone his technique instead of relying on pure power if he truly wants to succeed in the NFL. But there’s enough to work with right off the bat that he should come into a training camp and compete for a starting role as a rookie.
