According to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, the San Francisco 49ers are among the teams that have hosted Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford on a pre-draft visit. Pauline names the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals as other teams that have done the same while noting that the New Orleans Saints are keeping close tabs on the young player.
Pauline adds that Ford "looked terrific catching the ball at the Senior Bowl and during Combine position drills, answering a question scouts had about his game."
Ford started his collegiate career with Alabama but played his last two seasons with the Bearcats. He carried the football 215 times for 1,319 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns, adding 21 receptions for 220 yards and a receiving touchdown through 13 game appearances as a junior in 2021, per Sports Reference.
Ford had 1,953 rushing yards on 319 attempts and 30 rushing touchdowns, adding 31 receptions for 282 yards and a receiving touchdown through his four collegiate seasons.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 5' 10 1/2" and 210-pound Ford had a 40-time of 4.46 seconds, a vertical jump of 31 inches, and a broad jump of 118 inches.
"Ford rises similarities to current 49ers starter Elijah Mitchell with his 5'10, 210-pound frame, as he possesses a good combination of size and speed(4.46 40-yard dash)," our Rohan Chakravarthi recently wrote of Ford, "although he needs to improve his vision at the next level.
"However, Ford was a bell-cow back for the Bearcats in 2021, rushing 221 times for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry in a high-volume role. Still, Ford had just 319 career carries, lessening the durability concerns at the next level, especially in a running back committee like San Francisco.
"Ford's similarities to Mitchell make his fit with the 49ers even more apparent, and could develop into another talented running back in Kyle Shanahan's outside-zone scheme, which would allow Ford to trust his athletic traits more, rather than relying on his vision."
Ford's other measurables include an arm length of 30 5/8 inches and hands measuring 9 1/8 inches.