Oklahoma Sooners Football - 2019 NFL Draft Profile: Cody Ford

In the past five years, the Oklahoma Sooners have produced some of the nastiest, most dominant offensive lines in college football. Still, 2018’s unit was truly special, if not in a class of its own. Out of all the talent and experience from of that group, right tackle Cody Ford looks to be in the best position to become the first of four OU linemen selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, and it could potentially happen very early in the process.

Cody Ford’s Story

Coming out of Pineville, La., Ford was quite raw as a prospect. After redshirting in 2015, the mountainous man’s natural ability earned him the starting job at left guard. Three games into Oklahoma’s 2016 campaign, he suffered a season-ending injury (broken fibula).

Ford would make the year-long journey back into the Sooners’ rotation in 2017, but ended up missing a couple games due to minor injuries. Just when it seemed like his chances of becoming a household name were slipping away, a change of position and a tremendous comeback effort drastically altered the course of his future.

Blocking for eventual Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, Ford made the switch from left guard to right tackle. For the 6’4”, 329 pound behemoth, those few yards down the line made for quite the change of scenery. In his new position, he made an immediate impact on the field and in the eyes of scouts and analysts. Better yet, he was able to remain healthy, starting and playing through all 14 contests as a redshirt junior.

As an individual player, there is no doubt that his talent is significantly high. However, as a unit, the offensive line he anchored on the right side was so efficient and so dominant, winning the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s best O-line was almost to be expected. In addition, Ford was also a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018.

NFL Combine/Pro Day Results

40-Yard Dash: 5.21 seconds

Bench: 20 reps

Vertical: 28.5 inches

Broad Jump: 8’4”

3-Cone Drill: 8.27 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.84 seconds

60-Yard Shuttle: N/A

The combine and pro day numbers only tell part of the story, and in Cody Ford’s case, that part is very small. What has made him such a hot commodity throughout the draft process is the mean streak he plays with on every snap and the versatility he’s shown throughout his collegiate career. He’s a guy that can play on both sides of the center, inside or out. If what he did at Oklahoma is any indication, right tackle is probably where he fits best, but no one should put anything past him should his team ever need him elsewhere in a pinch. He could very well end up at guard if a team sees a better fit on the inside.

CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso compares Ford to Kelechi Osemele, and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein draws parallels to Brandon Brooks.

Draft Projections

The general consensus regarding Cody Ford’s draft stock is that he’s a Day One guy through and through. WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell projects Ford to go 12th to Green Bay, and R.J. White from CBS Sports also sees him going to the Packers, but this time with the 16th pick. Meanwhile, DJ Boyer from DraftSite.com predicts the Tennessee Titans to pick him up at 19th, while NFL.com’s Chad Reuter and SB Nation’s Dan Kadar have him going 28th overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.

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