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The Buffalo Bills traded up two spots in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft for the right to select Oklahoma offensive lineman Cody Ford. In doing so, they moved from 40 overall to 38, and they gave the Oakland Raiders a fifth-round draft choice that they originally acquired in a trade with those same Raiders.
For the Bills, the move was a no-brainer. They had to improve their offensive line this offseason, and they’ve done so, with Ford slotting in as the final piece to the puzzle. Thanks to his versatility, the only question regarding the 6’3”, 329-lb Ford is where along the line he will play. General manager Brandon Beane answered that question soon after making the selection.
Beane said that although the Bills like Ford’s versatility, the team intends to play Ford at the position he started 14 games last season, right tackle. When discussing the reasons for trading up, Beane spoke about Ford as if he were only a tackle.
“It was starting to get thin,” Beane said. “We honestly thought when Carolina traded right in front of us, tackle was one of their needs as well. They went with a tackle, they just wanted a different tackle. We felt fortunate to get Cody.”
When they saw the Jacksonville Jaguars draft Jawaan Taylor and the Carolina Panthers draft Greg Little, a bit of panic must have ensued in Buffalo’s draft room. Beane and company had their man in Ford, but they needed to find a willing buyer in order to move up to secure him. Enter the Raiders, who took the same fifth-round choice they gave Buffalo last summer in a trade for backup quarterback A.J. McCarron.
Pro Football Focus was high on Ford during his time with Oklahoma, and they rated him the fourth-best run blocker among offensive tackles in the 2019 Draft. Ford’s pass-blocking grade was excellent, as well, as the analytics outlet gave him an 80 as a pass-blocker to go with a 91 as a run-blocker.
Adding Ford to a revamped offensive line that includes new additions Mitch Morse, Quinton Spain, Ty Nsehke, and Spencer Long gives Buffalo plenty of competition along a unit that underwhelmed in 2018.