After beginning his collegiate career at Nassau Community College and finishing it as a starter at Ohio State, Malcolm Pridgeon is getting his chance to play in the NFL.
The Houston Texans agreed to a deal with the former Ohio State offensive lineman as a free agent after he went unselected in the 2019 NFL draft on Saturday, a source told Eleven Warriors.
Pridgeon started all 14 of Ohio State's games at left guard as a fifth-year senior last season. He was a highly touted prospect when he arrived at Ohio State as a junior college transfer in 2016, but missed his entire first season in Columbus due to a knee injury, then had to climb his way up the depth chart before finally emerging as a starter in 2018.
That said, Pridgeon's best football could be in front of him. He has excellent size at 6-foot-7 and 322 pounds, and has experience playing both guard and tackle. Those traits should help him in his effort to compete for a roster spot in Houston.
Former Ohio State wide receiver Johnnie Dixon also agreed to sign with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent.
The Texans entered the draft with one of the weakest offensive line depth charts in the NFL, so there will be ample opportunities for all of their new rookie linemen to compete. First-round pick Tytus Howard and second-round pick Max Scharping will get the first opportunity to compete for open starting jobs, but Pridgeon's versatility will give him a chance to potentially earn a roster spot as a backup.
