The 49ers Can’t Miss with Ford
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The 49ers have plenty of needs to fill in the 2010 NFL draft. With pick 13 and 17 it looks like they will be able to do this. The faithful have been debating whom the team should take in the first round; we’ve heard CJ Spiller, Joe Haden, or any Tackle. These would all be great picks but they wont make the 49ers draft. When we go back and grade this draft it will be who we get in the latter rounds that will make the difference.
There is one guy who the 49ers cannot miss out on. His name is Jacoby Ford.
Last year at Clemson, Ford had pretty good numbers. Ford caught 56 balls for 779 yards and 6 touchdowns. During his career he also had three kick returns for touchdowns. So he has the productivity.
Ford has been climbing up teams draft bored. He had a good Senior Bowl and a great combine workout. He ran a 4.28 forty at the combine and looked pretty good at the position drills. His hand measured in at 9 and ¼ inches, they aren’t small, Dez Bryant’s hands measured at 9 and ¾ inches. So he has the measurable.
The 49ers could use a guys like Ford. Right now we have one franchise receiver in Michael Crabtree, or Crabtron as I like to call him, and three other probable journeymen in Jason Hill, Josh Morgan, Brandon Jones. With so many questions at an important position, it looks like Ford could be a perfect fit.
On Offense Ford could be our slot receiver. The 49ers desperately need a man in the slot. We cannot keep using that funky two tight end formation and expect to be effective. A guy with Fords speed at the slot could allow us to not use Delaine Walker as our change of pace player.
Ford also plays differently than our other receivers. Crabtron is a big possession type. Morgan is an intermediate receiver and doesn’t have the speed to break away from NFL cornerbacks. Ford on the other hand plays like Deshawn Jackson. He can go deep and run away from the defense. He also can make people miss. I haven’t seen that with any receiver the 49ers currently have.
Ford’s rookie impact would come mostly in the return game. People typically overrate the need for a kick returner to be shifty. We typically look at a guy like CJ Spiller and see a guy who can juke a grown man out of his shoes and want him to return kicks. But I find that the guys who are great kick returners, outside of Dante Hall, are typically find the hole and go guys. That’s what Devin Hester was, and those are the skills Jacoby Ford has.
In 2008 the 49ers passed on Deshawn Jackson twice, who was later taken with the 49th pick. The 49ers have this years 49th pick. Could Ford be the second chance for the 49ers to grab a special receiver to put them over the top?
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