The Oklahoma Sooners football team has garnered plenty of awards over the past few seasons, including back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.
One award that might have gone under the radar is the Joe Moore Award, given annually to the best offensive line. The Sooners were this year's recipient, and for good reason, as four members of the unit attended the NFL Combine in Indianapolis at the beginning of March. Headlining the group was offensive tackle Cody Ford, who may be a possible target for the Redskins in the first round.
"Blocking for Kyler [Murray] and Baker [Mayfield], we'll give them 10 seconds," Ford said during the press conference at the Combine. "We take pride in that. Being able to do that in college, I feel like we'll be able to do that at the next level being that the receivers and QBs are more skilled at that level. It might not be 10 seconds, but it shows we have the ability to do so."
Ford, a three-star recruit, redshirted upon arriving at Oklahoma in 2015 before becoming a starter the next year. After playing just three games in 2016 due to an injury, he bounced back to help the Sooners reach the College Football Playoff in 2017 and turned in his best season in 2018, earning second-team All-Big 12 and third-team All-American for a program that returned to the national semifinals.
According to Jon Ledyard of The Draft Network, Ford is "among the best and most fun of the 2019 offensive line class, as he shows everything from high-end promise to unbelievably physical finishes. The muscle of the Oklahoma offensive line, Ford has just one year as a full-time starter under his belt, but already his mental processing and technique are pretty impressive. He's a mauler at the point of attack, while also possessing the athleticism to get out in space and the agility in pass protection to shut down all types of rushers."
One of the biggest questions surrounding Ford has been where he will line up at the next level. He spent his entire Oklahoma career at tackle and feels more comfortable playing on the outside, but at the Combine many NFL teams inquired about him possibly moving to guard. Ford admitted the transition would be difficult, as he rarely got down into a three-point stance at Oklahoma. Even on third downs, he assumed an upright position.
Still, that does not mean he'll be shying away from the challenge.
"My style of play is to get the job done no matter what it takes," Ford said. "My mentality going into every game, every play, is to finish everybody in front of me."
