2018 NFL Combine: Billy Price injured during bench press drill
By Matt Conner
Ohio State center Billy Price might have injured himself at the 2018 NFL Combine when taking his turn at the bench press drill in Indianapolis.
The NFL Combine is the ultimate platform for most professional football hopefuls, a grand stage upon which to display their strength and speed and agility in the hopes of raising their stock for the NFL Draft. Yet every year, there are a handful of players who end up hurting themselves in the proess, either with a poor showing or by literally suffering an injury.
Unfortunately for Billy Price, it looks like the latter might have happened during his time on the bench press in Indianapolis. The center from Ohio State is one of the draft’s top interior line prospects and should be a solid selection for some team early in the draft. While he’s not expected to be taken in Round 1 on Thursday night, he is definitely slated to be taken sometime thereafter given his experience, his talent and his size. However, this happened on Thursday.
Ohio State C Billy Price appeared to have hurt himself during the bench press... stopped and walked off the stage.
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 1, 2018
#OSU OL Billy Price suffered an apparent chest or shoulder injury during his bench press at the Combine. Not good. pic.twitter.com/mkieyY9E0Y
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 1, 2018
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Mike Mayock recently listed Price as his fifth best interior line prospect for the NFL Draft, which includes both guards and centers. Price sat below Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, who is considered a top 10 selection (and maybe higher), Isaiah Wynn of Georgia, Iowa’s James Daniels and Will Hernandez from the University of Texas-El Paso.
Price is a tremendous interior line prospect given that he has starting experience at the highest level at both guard and center for the Buckeyes. He also tied the school record with Pat Elfein for most career starts at OSU with 55. At 6’3, 312 lbs. he looks the part as a pro-ready prospect and his physical and mental attributes all stand up to scrutiny.
Price would be an excellent choice for the Chiefs sometime on Day 2, depending on how his draft stock looks. The Chiefs won’t pick until No. 54 overall without a move up the draft board, which would be a perfect place for Price to be taken, but if he’s suffered an injury, the Chiefs also have two third round selections that could be an ideal spot as well.
The Chiefs already have a former second round choice as their anchor in the middle with Mitch Morse, but both Morse and Prie come into the NFL as versatile projects. Whoever would be declared the starting center for the Chiefs, the other would likely slide right in at left guard over options like Parker Ehinger and Bryan Witzmann. The move would not only shore up the weakest spot on the team’s offensive line, but it would also give them a dynamic yet cheap option among their starters when several others are getting more and more expensive.