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Redskins 7-round mock with the team selecting an offensive lineman first

By Jacob Camenker

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 01: Cody Ford #74 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates a 39-27 win against the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 01: Cody Ford #74 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates a 39-27 win against the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 014: Offensive lineman Cody Ford #74 of the Oklahoma Sooners engages the crowd before the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Owls 63-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 014: Offensive lineman Cody Ford #74 of the Oklahoma Sooners engages the crowd before the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Owls 63-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

If the Redskins are going to land an offensive lineman in the first round, it has to be one that can play both tackle and guard. Jay Gruden and the team have shown repeatedly that they don’t prefer to address the guard position early. Even when they picked Brandon Scherff with the fifth overall pick, the original plan was to play him at tackle.

Luckily for the Redskins, there are a few very good, versatile options that could be on the board with the team’s first-round pick. One of them is Cody Ford. Ford was a monster blocker for Oklahoma over the course of the past couple of seasons, and he was the key cog that helped make their pro-ready offensive line work.

Ford manned the right tackle spot for the Sooners, but he may move inside at the NFL level. He is well-built with a 6-3, 329-pound frame and should prove to be a plug-and-play starter. He has excellent functional strength and should have the potential to be a mauler in the run game.

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Ford seems like a shoo-in top-20 pick, but he could rise if he succeeds at the Combine. He figures to display solid athletic ability, but if he succeeds in beating expectations, that may solidify him as a potential tackle prospect and could move him up the board. Either way, Ford has the skill set that NFL teams look for in starters, and it’s hard to really find any flaws in his game.

For the Redskins, Ford would certainly be an option if he’s on the board with the No. 15 pick. Ford could immediately start at left guard, where the team had a revolving door last season. He could also cross-train as a tackle and potentially be groomed to be the successor to Trent Williams once his fellow Oklahoma product calls it quits. Either way, Ford would add strength, toughness, and versatility to the line. And the depth on that unit is one of the team’s biggest weaknesses.

An offensive lineman may not be the best value option for Washington, but Ford would plug a major hole. And, as you’ll see, drafting him puts us in position to address almost all of the team’s critical needs in this mock.

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