The Cincinnati Bengals selected Joseph Ossai, a defensive end/linebacker/edge rusher from the Texas Longhorns, in the third round - 69th overall - of the 2021 NFL Draft on Friday night in Cleveland.
The pick was announced by Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Bengals great Anthony Muñoz.
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Earlier in the evening, the Bengals selected Clemson offensive lineman and former Fairfield High School standout Jackson Carman in the second round, 46th overall.
NFL.com's Chad Reuter on Ossai:
Ossai (pronounced oh-SIGH) was born in Nigeria. His family moved to the United States when he was 10 years old. He worked on his game during high school to become a finalist for the Houston Touchdown Club's Defensive Player of the Year and a top-150 overall recruit nationally. Ossai started twice as a true freshman in 2018 (20 tackles, one sack), playing in 14 games overall. He began performing like the pass-rush demon Longhorns fans expected him to be in 2019, garnering honorable mention All-Big 12 honors by leading Texas with 90 tackles, 13.5 for loss and five sacks. The 13-game starter also intercepted two passes and was the Defensive MVP of the team's Alamo Bowl win over Utah. Ossai's game became a national story in 2020, when he moved to the Jack linebacker position. He was named a first-team Associated Press All-American and first-team all-conference selection. The team captain tied for third in the FBS with 16 tackles for loss and led Texas with 5.5 sacks in nine starts (also posting 55 total stops, two pass breakups, and three forced fumbles). Ossai opted out of the team's bowl game.
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