Bengals 1st-Round Pick Billy Price Out with Ankle Injury vs. Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals rookie center Billy Price left Thursday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half due to an ankle injury.

While he was initially questionable to return, he was later ruled out for the game, per the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Dehner Jr.

The Bengals selected Price with the No. 21 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft after a standout career at Ohio State.

During his time with the Buckeyes, the 22-year-old was a two-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection and one-time Second-Team All-American.

Also, in 2017, he was a unanimous All-American as well as the winner of the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award and the Rimington Trophy, which is given to the best center in college football.

Price's draft stock seemingly took a hit when he suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle in March, but the injury didn't prevent the Bengals from spending their first-round pick on him.

Cincinnati prepared for the selection of Price by allowing longtime starting center Russell Bodine to sign with the Buffalo Bills.

Bodine started every game at center for the Bengals from 2014 through 2017 and built a strong rapport with quarterback Andy Dalton along the way.

Despite that, Cincinnati brought in Price with the hope he will develop into a perennial Pro Bowler and All-Pro. He has the potential to reach that status in the near future, but if he is forced to miss a significant amount of time, the Bengals don't have a suitable replacement.

With Bodine now in Buffalo, Trey Hopkins is the primary backup at center.

While Hopkins entered the league in 2014 and made 12 starts for the Bengals last season, most of the action he has seen in the NFL has been at guard.

Until Price returns, the Bengals will be forced to do some shuffling along the offensive line, and their questionable interior depth will be tested.