Next Gen Stats Places Rudy Ford Among Elite Special Teams Company

The new Jaguars safety is one of the most reliable special teamers in the NFL, with Next Gen Stats showing off a metric on Friday that puts Ford in elite company.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't waste time attempting to improve their special teams units during the 2021 offseason. 

In fact, the speed to which the Jaguars ran to spend on the specialists market reflects the same speed the Jaguars looked for in players themselves -- especially safety Rudy Ford. 

With how much of an emphasis Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer has placed on both special teams play and football speed during his short tenure, it is little surprise Ford was one of the first free agents the Jaguars and Meyer signed in March. Especially when taking in the context of a revealing NFL Next Gen Stats metric. 

Next Gen Stats released its tracking of the five fastest punt gunners in football last season, with Ford showing up on the list twice following his 2020 season with the Philadelphia Eagles. The only player with a faster-recorded mph in 2020, according to Next Gen Stats, was Carolina Panthers' rookie Troy Pride. Otherwise, Ford had the two fastest individual times among all punter gunners in 2020.

Punt gunners reach some of the fastest recorded speeds on a football field 💨

📸: Top 5 MPH by Punt Gunner, Tackle Play

Rudy Ford & Davontae Harris each had multiple top five plays, however, it was @TroyPride18 who reached the fastest speed on a tackle.#SpecialTeamsFriday pic.twitter.com/VwYQk7w1QP

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) June 11, 2021

This is hardly a surprise considering what Ford put on tape in 2020. He only played in eight games due to injuries, but he was one of the most impactful punt gunners in the league when he did play, carving out a niche role for himself moving forward. 

In just eight games last year, Ford recorded nine special teams tackles, which tied him for ninth in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus -- with every player in front of him playing at least 11 games. 

Here are a few of Rudy Ford's tackles as a gunner last season. Safe to say that speed is legit. pic.twitter.com/b5q7wdx2SV

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) June 11, 2021

Ford was a sixth-round draft selection out of Auburn in 2017. He has played 41 games in four seasons, spending two seasons apiece with the Cardinals and Eagles. Ford has just two career starts on defense and 125 career snaps on that side of the ball. 

2021 is set to be Ford's first season with the Jaguars after he signed a two-year deal with the team in March. Ford is joining a crowded safety room, but the Jaguars had major special teams needs in terms of coverage players entering the offseason. With the addition of Ford, it certainly appears they found just that.

"I would just say your mindset is you have to have the relentless effort mindset," Ford said in March about his mindset on special teams. 

"But I will say, just like anything, the mindset that you have on any team regardless of anything, basically my mindset is when I’m out there, how can I be the best? How can I be the best in what I’m going to do, and, always first, be where my feet are? I just take the role I’m given and [ask myself] how can I make the most of this opportunity.”

Ford will have his chances in training camp to make a name for himself on defense, but the stats back it up. He is a bona fide impact punt gunner -- one the Jaguars will likely rely upon heavily as they kick off the Meyer era.