Seth McLaughlin didn’t get drafted, but he’s still getting a shot to play in the NFL.
While the Rimington Trophy-winning Ohio State center went undrafted, likely as a result of the torn Achilles that ended his lone season as a Buckeye, he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 NFL draft as an undrafted free agent.
Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin, No. 1 on ESPN's best available players list post-draft, is signing an undrafted free agent deal with the #Bengals, per his agency @_SportsTrust
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 26, 2025
McLaughlin is one of the most experienced offensive line prospects coming out of the collegiate ranks this year, starting 34 games across his career at Alabama and Ohio State. After a disappointing outing in the College Football Playoff semifinals in his redshirt junior season with the Crimson Tide, he entered the transfer portal and landed with the Buckeyes for 2024.
All McLaughlin did was win the Rimington Trophy as the best center in all of college football despite missing the final two games of the regular season and the College Football Playoff with a torn Achilles. He was a consensus All-American. His accolades off the field were equally impressive, where he was an Academic All-American and donated 100% of the sales of his "Run the Damn Ball" hats to feed central Ohio families.
Now, he’ll have to prove himself all over as an undrafted free agent, but he’ll enter the NFL believing in his ability to play in the league.
"I got a lot of good tape out there, I've got a lot of accolades, a lot of experience, I can bring a lot of value to an organization," McLaughlin said at Ohio State's pro day on March 26. "So I'm not worried about it, wherever I end up, I end up and I'm excited to see where that is."
The Bengals have a solidified multi-year starter at center in Ted Karras, but McLaughlin could compete with Matt Lee, a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, to be Karras' backup.
Ryan Day and Will Howard often described Seth McLaughlin as a pro. Now, the former Ohio State center officially is one, even if it didn’t come in the fashion he anticipated.
