Cleveland Browns Select Jerome Ford, RB Cincinnati with 156th Pick
The Cleveland Browns have selected running back Jerome Ford with the 156th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Ford started his collegiate career at Alabama before transferring to the University of Cincinnati, part of their team that was able to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Ford becomes the oldest member of the draft class at 22 years old. A position where age might take a backseat to talent given how fleeting careers at that position can be.
Ford was the leading rusher for the Bearcats, but he also contributed in the passing game, which seemed a prerequisite for the Browns. Ford rushed for 1,320 yards, caught 21 passes for 220 yards for a total of 20 touchdowns this past season.
In the College Football Playoff, Ford got to face off against his former team, totaling 88 yards on 18 touches.
Ford has been consistently productive as a rusher, but needs to improve his ball security and blocking. The Browns trust running backs coach Stump Mitchell implicitly, so they must feel like he can help iron out those issues and maximize his potential in the NFL.
The addition of Ford raises questions about the rest of the running back room for the Browns. Nick Chubb's future is secure but Kareem Hunt is in the last year of his deal and D'Ernest Johnson is sitting on a tender. With the contracts the Browns have on this team, most notably Deshaun Watson, the Browns are conscious of the costs in t hat room and Ford represents a means to save money to use elsewhere.
Ford is the second Bearcat the Browns have drafted in two years. The other was James Hudson III, an offensive tackle the Browns selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
