Bengals’ Enthusiastic Pursuit of Ex-Buckeye Seth McLaughlin Has Center Eager To Finish Rehab and Prove His Value

CINCINNATI – The 2025 NFL Draft will be remembered for many things, but an overstock of centers won’t be one of them.

Of the 257 players drafted, only three were centers – the fewest in NFL history.

And for the first time since 1997, none were selected in the first or second round.

Those numbers only added to what has been an excruciating six months for Ohio State’s Seth McLaughlin, who fully expected to hear his name called on Day 3 of the draft despite being unable to work for teams after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in practice a couple of weeks before the Buckeyes’ impressive postseason run to the College Football Playoff championship.

"It was a long day, because I thought I was going to get drafted,” McLaughlin said. “But it didn't go that way.

“I can only focus on my rehab now and trying to get back on the field, because even I did get drafted, that was going to be the question mark,” he added. “How fast can I get back, and when can I start adding value to an organization?"

Neither McLaughlin nor anyone else knows exactly when that will be, but he and the doctors are encouraged by his recovery and progress he is making.

And so are the Cincinnati Bengals, who signed McLaughlin to a free agent contract immediately after the draft.

"We are not hesitant to put undrafted players on our 53-man roster, we’re not hesitant to put them in a game," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said after today’s rookie camp practice. "Our message is if you're undrafted and you want a chance to make a roster and play football, come to Cincinnati. We're going to give the same opportunity we give draft picks. We've shown that over the years."

McLaughlin transferred from Alabama and enrolled at Ohio State in January 2024. Prior to suffering the Achilles injury in practice in November, he had played well enough in the team’s first 10 games to win the Rimington Trophy, presented annually to the national’s top college center and named for former Bengals center Dave Rimington.

Dane Brugler listed McLaughlin as the No. 3 center in this year’s class and gave him a third/fourth round grade in The Beast.

Multiple rankings listed as the best player to go undrafted, and the Bengals moved quickly to sign him.

Cincinnati was not the only team trying to land McLaughlin, but the Bengals were the ones who were able to sell the 6-foot-4, 305-pounder on the fit with the only two players on the roster who have started a game at center – Ted Karras and Lucas Patrick – both heading into the final year of their contract.

"Just the enthusiasm," McLaughlin said when asked what led him to pick the Bengals. "They didn't really have many question marks. They knew exactly where I was going to be. The offense is always going to be great here. They compete for Super Bowls.

“I've won a championship at every level I've been at, and I want to have the opportunity to help a team do that when I get healthy,” he added. “I love the people in Ohio, so everything really just made sense."

A native of Buford, Ga., McLaughlin started 25 games at Alabama.

The first three were the 2021 SEC championship game, CFP semifinal and CFP championship.

Errant snap had become a problem with McLaughlin at Alabama, including his final one ever in a Crimson Tide jersey in the team’s Rose Bowl loss to Michigan in overtime.

But he corrected the issue at Ohio State on the way to winning the Rimington Trophy.

“I think I improved that issue. and it didn't show up at Ohio State,” he said. “I put 10 games on film with that not being an issue. I ended up winning the Rimington for those 10 games. I was super proud of what I was building toward.

“It stinks that it ended the way it did (with the injury), but I'm glad it didn't derail our season,” he continued. “We were a little shaky for a couple of games after, but once we got in the playoffs and had a few weeks to gel the offensive line, they didn't miss a beat. It was nice to see Buckeyes go out on top."

Missing a chance to play in those games was grueling, as has been the rehab for his Achilles.

But McLaughlin is motivated to put behind him the medical questions that sapped all the enjoyment out of the pre-draft process.

"That stinks that that’s how my college career ended, but I think everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Those questions were pretty easy, because I had a great team around me at Ohio State and my doctor. I had all the answers people were asking for, and I’m super confident in my progress. I'm feeling good. I'm right where I'm supposed to be in the rehab process. Just got to keep attacking that."