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Preseason Profile: Jacoby Ford, WR

Jacoby Ford #12


College: Clemson
Height: 5'8⅞"
Weight: 186 lbs
Arm Length: 30.4"
Hand Size: 9.3"

 

40 Yard Dash: 4.28
3 Cone Drill: 7.0
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.44
Bench Press: 15 reps
Vertical Jump: 33.5"
Broad Jump: 115"

 

 

That brings me to Jacoby Ford who is an interesting story. A fan favorite from the beginning, his electrifying attributes can not be ignored by anyone. He has the ability to score anytime the ball is in his hands which is the type of player that will give a defensive coordinator gray hair at an early age.

His play on the field, however, has been up and down. After bursting onto the scene as a rookie averaging nearly 19 yards per catch and being remembered for his contributions in multiple late game comebacks, he had what many would call a sophomore slump last year.

Struggling to stay on the field due to injuries in his second season, Ford played in just 8 games while starting only 3. His 19 catches and 1 touchdown last year left a lot of people wondering if he could still be counted on as a consistent receiver in the offense going forward.

His size does not do him any favors either as he won’t be winning many jump balls at 5′ 9″. That limits his time spent split out wide in the offense, although he has proved he can make plays from that position at times. His speed will always present match up problems for slower corner backs.

Lets not forget Ford’s value to the return game as well. He has amassed 1,621 yards returning with an average of 25.3 yards per return and 4 TD’s in 2 years. The rule change by the NFL to move the kickoff up to the 35 yard line has limited the impact on kick returns though. You are now seeing more kickoff’s going out of the back of the end zone and players having to make a decision on whether to bring the ball out from 6-8 yards deep in order to have a chance at breaking a long return.

Ford has yet to get involved much in the punt return game to this point. Overall this season will be very telling for Jacoby Ford. Will he return to the form we got used to seeing in his rookie year and have a big part in the offense or will he become more of a situational type player and return specialist? He is currently in-line to be the teams 3rd receiver but will see plenty of competition for that role in training camp.
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