Round One
Cody Ford – OT (Oklahoma)
This could be a dream scenario for the Vikings as Ford is currently ranked 12th on Jon Ledyard’s big board over at The Draft Network. While some teams may not be high on Ford to begin with, Ledyard believes that the Sooner will be a fast riser once the draft process begins thanks to several traits.
When Ford came out of high school, he was already a big prospect checking in at 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds. While he is big, there isn’t much in terms of bad weight on him and Rivals projected him as a guard coming out of high school, but he mainly played on the outside of the offensive line in Oklahoma’s high-scoring offense.
Either way, Ford would be a great get for Minnesota he lasts long enough for them to draft him. If the Vikings want to put him at left tackle, they would have two athletic tackles on the end that can get out and help spark the running game.
If that doesn’t work out, Minnesota can shift him to fill the gaping holes at guard that were exposed this past season.
If Ford isn’t on the board, some early names to keep an eye on are Kansas State offensive tackle Dalton Risner (who will also be a 24-year-old rookie) or if the Vikings really want to get crazy, Iowa tight end Noah Fant, who could be an athletic compliment to Kyle Rudolph (or his replacement).