CHICAGO — Texas A&M offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi was drafted 21st overall in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, marking the third straight year that the Aggies’ starter at left tackle was a first-round draft selection.
Leaving Texas A&M with his degree in hand, Ogbuehi, from Allen, Texas, joins former offensive line teammates Luke Joeckel (No. 2 overall in 2013) and Jake Matthews (No. 6 overall in 2014) as NFL first-rounders. The trio were all members of the Aggies’ 2010 signing class. Texas A&M joins Wisconsin and USC as the only collegiate programs ever to have an offensive lineman selected in the first round in three consecutive seasons.
Ogbuehi’s selection also gives Texas A&M at least one first-rounder in five consecutive NFL Drafts. The 6-foot-5, 306-pound Ogbuehi joins Von Miller (2011), Ryan Tannehill (2012), Luke Joeckel (2013) and Mike Evans, Johnny Manziel and Jake Matthews (2014) as first-round Aggies in the last five years. Ogbuehi is the 33rd Aggie football player to be picked in the first-round of the NFL Draft.
The versatile Ogbuehi saw action at guard and both tackle positions during his four seasons as a starter. In 2014 he started all 13 games — beginning and ending the year at left tackle but shifting to the right side for two games when starting right tackle Germain Ifedi went down with an injury. Ogbuehi helped clear the way for one of the nation’s most potent offenses, which also led the SEC in passing yards and touchdowns in 2014.
During his time at Texas A&M, Ogbuehi blocked for a Heisman Trophy winner (Johnny Manziel in 2012), helped the Aggies become the first team to surpass 7,000 yards in total offense in a season in SEC history (2013) and cleared the way for an offense that led the SEC in passing, scoring and total offense twice (2012 and 2013) and passing offense three times (2012-14).
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics