2016 NFL Draft Profile: Cody Whitehair, G Kansas State

Finding good offensive lineman in the draft can be a chore, but would Cody Whitehair be a player the Minnesota Vikings should consider with their top pick?

In the 2016 NFL Draft, there might not be a more complete guard available than Kansas State’s Cody Whitehair. He checks off nearly all of the boxes of things to look for in an offensive lineman, including toughness, agility, play recognition and balance.

As a four-year starter, he showed the capability to play any spot on the line, but likely will translate best to the guard position and has stated that he would prefer to play at that spot in the NFL. Whitehair shouldn’t have much trouble adjusting to either guard position, since his pass blocking is solid to go along with good run blocking.

So far, there isn’t much to question about Cody Whitehair. The most common complaint about him is that he doesn’t really show the mean streak that helps make a lot of offensive linemen successful. However, measuring a mean streak is hard because figuring out the mindset of a player can be difficult and aggression is something that can’t really be quantified. Still, with watching the tape, there is not much doubt that football is a passion for Whitehair.

Here are his numbers at the 2016 NFL Combine according to NFL.com:

Oct 25, 2014; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats running back Charles Jones (24) celebrates a touchdown run with offensive lineman Cody Whitehair (55) and Boston Stiverson (77) during the Wildcats /

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 301 pounds

Arm Length: 32 3/8″

Hand Size: 10 1/8″

40 Yard Dash: 5.08 seconds

Weightlifting: 16 reps

Vertical Jump: N/A

Broad Jump: 110″

3 Cone Drill: 7.32 seconds

20 Yard Shuttle: 4.58 seconds

Cody Whitehair compares to:

CBS Sports: Zack Martin, Cowboys
NFL.com: Zack Martin, Cowboys

Fit for the Minnesota Vikings:

If the Vikings can bring back Harris and have Fusco play at a solid level, using a first round draft pick on a guard could be a luxury. However, Minnesota needs to ensure the position with depth and competition, so a guard could be high on their priority list anyway.

My Take:

With the Minnesota Vikings reportedly making a somewhat insulting offer to keep solid starting guard Mike Harris, odds are that Minnesota will need to find another interior offensive lineman in the 2016 NFL Draft. If this is the situation where that happens, Cody Whitehair could be the best possible option for the team with their first round selection. Based on his production at the college level, Whitehair has the potential to be a multiple time All-Pro. I’d be excited for him to join the Vikings!

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