The Buffalo Bills selected Cody Ford out of the University of Oklahoma with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
After trading up to the No. 38 spot after orchestrating a deal with the Oakland Raiders, the Buffalo Bills added to the other line that helps win games; the offensive line. They say that games are won and lost within the trenches and Buffalo sought out to add talent and depth on both sides of the ball.
Cody Ford, who stands at 6-foot-4 and a whopping 329 pounds, was a cornerstone piece of the Oklahoma offense that provided space and time for Arizona Cardinals draft pick Kyler Murray to be the playmaker that he is.
Though Ford weighs in north of 320 pounds, he is an extremely hard-to-find combination of pure mass and pure athleticism. Ford is the type of lineman who plays light on his feet which has made him able to play both tackle and guard.
Though it is not set in stone which position Ford will occupy coming this season, having the ability to plug-and-play someone who was predicted to be a first-round talent will give Buffalo many options comes kickoff in Week 1.
During his time as a Sooner, Ford fluctuated in weight and position. Originally being listed and starting on the Sooners roster as a left guard, Ford would appear in three games before breaking his leg against Ohio State. Upon his return, he was slotted back into that same left guard position before moving over to right tackle in the 2018 season.
Moving over forced Ford to cut weight as he would have to slim down to account for the much-needed agility to protect against the nation’s best pass rushers.
There is no question this pick was made by the Bills to protect their 2018 draft asset in Josh Allen. Revamping the offensive line is a goal that Brandon Beane addressed in free agency as they brought in Jon Feliciano, LaAdrian Waddle, and Mitch Morse to name a few.
Ford adds both athleticism, youth, and depth to an offensive line that will look much different this upcoming season.