After staying patient and waiting for defensive tackle Ed Oliver to fall into their lap at number nine in the first round, the Buffalo Bills felt the need to move up two spots in round two. The target was Oklahoma’s Cody Ford, selected with the 38th pick overall after a trade with the Raiders.
T Cody Ford has been selected by the @buffalobills with the 38th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Learn more about the Bills new tackle from Oklahoma: pic.twitter.com/oHPQ3MmP4c
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) April 26, 2019
The former Sooner was another pre-draft visitor and comes to Buffalo capable of lining up in multiple positions on the offensive line. Scouts believe he’s best suited to the guard position at the NFL level, but he has a lot of experience playing right tackle at Oklahoma.
New #Bills OL Cody Ford said he wants to play in #Buffalo — "I want to see this organization make big noise this season." #GoBills #NFLDraft @news4buffalo pic.twitter.com/kpqUYt9ZfW
— Nick Filipowski (@NickFilipowski) April 27, 2019
After being redshirted in 2015, he started three games at the left guard position in 2016 before suffering a season-ending injury. He came back in 2017 and played in 12 games (4 starts). In 2018, he moved to RT and started all 14 games there, earning AP 3rd-team All-American honors and becoming a major contributor to his group, which won the Joe Moore Award, given to the best OL in the nation.
At 6’4″ and 338 pounds, Ford is a mammoth offensive lineman with nimble feet, which makes him effective on power runs. He has a lot of experience pulling and being used as a lead blocker. His nastiness and aggressiveness are a great fit with what the Bills plan to do with the OL group.
Cody Ford allowed a pressure on just 1.6% of his pass-blocking snaps last season – the fourth-lowest rate among the top OT prospects. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/wxLxOosUL1
— PFF (@PFF) April 26, 2019
Another plus is his efficiency as a pass blocker. Keeping Josh Allen upright is a priority this year, and Ford succeeded in this department as a Sooner. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed just seven total pressures in 2018, all being just hurries. He didn’t allow any sacks until the playoffs. For a guy who’s supposed to be better suited to play inside, he did a pretty good job playing tackle.
Cody Ford allowed a pressure on just 1.6% of his pass-blocking snaps last season – the fourth-lowest rate among the top OT prospects. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/wxLxOosUL1
— PFF (@PFF) April 26, 2019
Widely viewed as a first-round pick, Ford is another great selection by general manager Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills. The offensive line underwent a major overhaul this offseason, and Ford will push every one of his new teammates in what is sure to be an intense training camp battle for starting spots.
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