NFL Draft Profile: Jerome Ford, Running Back, Cincinnati Bearcats
#24
Pos: RB
Ht: 5104
Wt: 210
Hand: 918
Arm: 3058
Wing:
40: 4.46
Vertical: 31
Broad: 910
3 Cone: NA
Bench: NA
Shuttle: NA
DOB: 9/12/1999
Hometown: Tampa, FL
High School: Armwood
Jerome Ford
Cincinnati Bearcats
One-liner:
Here is an excellent talent and very under-the-radar prospect. He only had one season as the primary starting running back, but what he showed during the season was tremendous.
Pros:
Powerful running back with breakaway speed. Very physical runner, who easily runs through arm tackles. He is a patient player and will wait for a hole to open before attacking the play. Has outstanding field vision and a great jump cut, which allows him to quickly jump into the open lane and burst through it. Has a knack for finding the endzone, in his two seasons at Cincinnati he scored 27 touchdowns, and in one of those seasons he was the second running back. Understands pass blocking concepts very well and is a really good blocker, he even gives great effort when in the run game. He shows so much willingness to block in the run game, he can even be relied on as a lead blocker and that shows what a great teammate he is. Cincinnati has always had a good run game under Coach Fickell, but it seemed that once this player arrived the entire team took that final step to be an elite team.
Cons:
Not the shiftiest runner, he is never going to be the guy who breaks ankles in the open field. He has a great cut and can reverse field well, but he just isn’t the type of running back who will juke someone out of their shoes to make a big play. Wasn’t a big factor as a pass-catcher, so that is one area he will need to prove himself more. When he had the opportunity, he showed skill catching, but he just didn’t do it enough to get a true feel for his skill there. Can sometimes depend on his physicality too much and loses out on yards. There will be opportunities for him to make a cut, or some type of juke move and instead would choose to run through the defender which didn’t always work.
Summary:
The more film you watch on this player, the more you fall in love with him. Starting his career as a running back at Alabama it was very difficult to get playing time and sometimes great talent away from them, that is exactly what happened here. Since arriving at Cincinnati he has done nothing but excel and showed the nation just how good he was. He is a powerful and very physical runner, who relishes the opportunity to run somebody over. Don’t be pulled in by his power though, because he will end up torching a defense for a long touchdown. This is what makes him exciting, it’s very rare for a player to be so powerful and still have the breakaway speed to outrun an entire defense to the end zone. Speaking of scoring, he does a great job accumulating touchdowns. Whether he breaks a big play or has to fight his way to the goal line, he just knows how to score. You aren’t getting the most shifty running back and he isn’t going to be the type of player who can your ankle in a phone booth, but it’s something you won’t miss with his style of play. He is no doubt the best blocker in this running back class, he understands protection concepts and is great at executing them. He will need to prove himself as a receiver as he didn’t get many pass-catching opportunities, but when he did, he showed he could do it.
Background:
Born in Tampa Bay, Florida, he played at Armwood High School. His time in high school got him to be a four-star recruit and the number six all-purpose running back in the entire country. He originally attended the University of Alabama, but because of their depth at running back didn’t get much playing time. After his sophomore season, he decided to transfer to Cincinnati and that is where his career really took off. Though he was a backup his first year there, he still proved to be a very effective player and scored eight touchdowns. The 2021 season was his coming-out party as he gained over 1,000 rushing yards for the first time, he added 19 touchdowns too. He was named first-team All-AAC and was the American Conference Championship game MVP, securing the first group of five playoff bid in history.
Grade:
7.3 / 8.4
