49ers 7-round mock NFL Draft after trading Jimmy Garoppolo
By Peter Panacy
Bearcats . Jerome Ford. 186. player. 830. . Running Back
Round 6, Pick No. 186 Overall (from Broncos): RB Jerome Ford, Cincinnati
Just like the 49ers’ situation at tight end, it wouldn’t seem necessary for John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan to use another pick on a luxury position, namely running back in this case.
After all, 2021 rookie tailback Elijah Mitchell set a franchise record for a first-year player with 963 rush yards last season, and he’s now poised to take over for veteran running back Raheem Mostert next season in light of Mostert’s season-ending knee injury suffered way back in Week 1.
And the fact Mostert is a free agent this offseason, one not likely to be re-signed.
Beyond Mitchell, there are question marks. Fellow rookie runner Trey Sermon hasn’t panned out just yet, and veteran running back Jeff Wilson Jr. is a free agent, too. The only other legitimate option on the roster is third-year pro JaMycal Hasty, who has essentially been little more than a gadget player over his first two seasons.
Enter Cincinnati’s Jerome Ford.
| Rushing | Receiving | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2018 | Alabama | SEC | FR | RB | 4 | 7 | 37 | 5.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 37 | 5.3 | 0 | |
| *2019 | Alabama | SEC | FR | RB | 4 | 24 | 114 | 4.8 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 26 | 125 | 4.8 | 3 |
| *2020 | Cincinnati | American | FR | RB | 10 | 73 | 483 | 6.6 | 8 | 8 | 51 | 6.4 | 0 | 81 | 534 | 6.6 | 8 |
| *2021 | Cincinnati | American | JR | RB | 13 | 215 | 1319 | 6.1 | 19 | 21 | 220 | 10.5 | 1 | 236 | 1539 | 6.5 | 20 |
| Career | Overall | 319 | 1953 | 6.1 | 30 | 31 | 282 | 9.1 | 1 | 350 | 2235 | 6.4 | 31 | ||||
| Alabama | 31 | 151 | 4.9 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 33 | 162 | 4.9 | 3 | |||||
| Cincinnati | 288 | 1802 | 6.3 | 27 | 29 | 271 | 9.3 | 1 | 317 | 2073 | 6.5 | 28 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 2/1/2022.
Ford has all the makings of being the next late-round gem Shanahan could identify. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back who burst on the scene in 2021 might not be anything close to the high-profile rushers from last year’s draft class. But Ford possesses elite-level speed, like Mitchell, and also can react quickly to open lanes with excellent shiftiness.
Mitchell’s injury history could surely open up the door to make someone like Ford a wise choice with the selection the Niners acquired from the Denver Broncos in last year’s trade of linebacker Jonas Griffith.