Oklahoma football: Your guide to OU players in the NFL Draft day one

Cody Ford

Background: The backbone of the Sooners’ offensive line last year, Ford held down the right tackle spot and blocked with bad intentions. Remember when he mauled UT’s Breckyn Hager so hard the poor guy quit social media? Whether he plays on the outside like he did as a senior or at guard where he started the previous two seasons, Ford has rocketed up draft boards thanks to some dominant film.

The stories: Ford’s destination is up in the air with the Houston Chronicle reporting that nine teams have asked for visits and four have requested private workouts. According to reports there is interest from the likes of New England, Baltimore Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Houston and Carolina. Of course, not all news is good, ESPN’s Todd McShay is reporting that there are last minute weight concerns with Ford, who showed up at the combine at 329 pounds. The rumors have him tipping the scales at 340 pounds at this point, though this has a good chance of being noise from some teams lower in the first round trying to get Ford to slide to them.

Our prediction: Ford is the best run blocker in the draft and any smart team in need of an offensive line upgrade would be silly not to take the versatile Sooners’ standout. It would be fun to see him go to either Baltimore or Philly and join either Orlando Brown or Lane Johnson to create an powerful one-two Oklahoma punch up on the line, but in the end it seems like Minnasota is the best fit for Ford. The Vikings (picking at No. 18) are in need of a physical presence up front as they continue to try and get tougher in the trenches and Ford can easily be that guy.