Top 10 offensive tackles in the 2019 NFL Draft

#3. Cody Ford, Oklahoma

A four-star recruit from Louisiana, Ford decided against several SEC schools in favor of coming to Norman. He redshirted his freshman year and was named the scout team’s Offensive Player of the Year. After starting the first three games at left guard in 2016 he broke his leg and missed the rest of the season. He appeared in 12 games the following campaign, but it wasn’t until last year when he moved to right tackle that he started every single game, which ended with first-time All-Big XII honors.

This is a big dude at 6’4”, about 340 pounds, but he can really move for that size. While a lot of draft analysts project him to play guard, I think Ford has the length and mobility to play on the edge, preferably at right tackle. He rolls his hips into defenders as a run-blocker and finishes with a nasty attitude, often times landing on top of those guys. He has the power to wash down interior D-lineman and pass them on to his fellow big guys with an easy loop around to the play-side linebacker, while also being able to yank and torque defenders at their pads. Even he doesn’t win a lot with pad level, the hand-positioning and grip strength he brings to the table give him control over edge defenders and he just clear out space at the point of attack. Ford was even used as a power-puller from that right tackle spot and he is a load for a linebacker to take on when he is on the move.

While he is extremely tall in his stance, I think Ford’s feet for that size are outstanding and he stays active with the footwork, plus his arms are so long that defenders might get their hands extended against his chest, but he can still grab them with bent elbows. Ford can clamp down on pass rushers and when he gets his hands inside their chests, it’s over. His upper body is so wide that pass rushers seem to forget the plan they had against him, leading them to stop their feet and it can get pretty frustrating for guys after so many snaps of just not getting around him. What I appreciate most in Ford’s pass sets is the way he stays under control and doesn’t overcommit at all, always being ready for inside counters and he just trusts his anchor to hold up against power, as he surrendered just seven quarterback pressures in all of 2018. However just because the ball comes out doesn’t mean he will quit on plays, often times staying engaged to keep the defender from chasing after it.

The big guy might not necessarily a natural bender and won’t be able to move people off the spot in the pros the way he did in the Big XII. With how tall he is in his stance, he might have some trouble against those power rushers who can get inside his chest, if there is enough of a threat to just speed around the arc. He also overextends at times when trying to quick-set and misses that punch. Ford has recorded just 21 total starts and only seven of those came at guard, considering how many people project him to move back inside.

Ford’s combination of that massive frame, nimble feet for his size and finisher attitude make him an intriguing prospect at right tackle or guard. His tape versus Alabama in the Orange Bowl was highly impressive, facing top tier competition, and if not for Anfernee Jennings’ ridiculous grip to just pull Kyler Murray down while running past him, he would have stayed clean in terms of no negative plays allowed in that game. If you consider Ford a guard, he is probably the number one guy at that spot, but at tackle, he lands here. Either way, he is clearly a first-rounder to me.