Isaiah Ford, WR: A mid round gem that can play all over the field

Isaiah Ford, WR
School: Virginia Tech | Conference: ACC
College Experience: Junior | Age: 21
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 194 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 3rd or 4th Round
NFL Comparison: Marvin Jones

College Statistics

Player Overview

Before Isaiah Ford came to Virginia Tech no receiver in that program’s history has gone over 1,000 yards in a single season. Ford did that as a sophomore. He did it again his junior year and became Virginia Tech’s all-time leading receiver. Ford is a great athlete who is sneaky fast. His speed creeps up and deceives corners and before they know it he can get over the top. Ford shows impressive route running ability, quick feet, and the body control to sell a defender on the wrong direction. Before he catches the ball he also has an impressive ability to adjust to the ball and haul in tough catches. Ford has the athleticism and speed to be a legitimate deep threat but also was the body control and sure hands to be a good possession receiver in the NFL.

Strengths

• A sneaky athlete that shows up on tape despite his test results. Has the ability to stretch the field and work underneath. Can get off the LOS quick with his burst and shows smooth acceleration.
• Displays impressive body control when the ball is in the air. With adjust his body and position and make grabs over the defender.
• Is solid out of his breaks and displays impressive footwork and salesmanship on his routes.
• Reliable hands.

Weaknesses

• Concerns over lack of pro level route tree run in VTs spread offense.
• Sometimes fights the ball, has a hand full of easy drops on tape. Not sure if that's a concentration issue or something that needs to be fixed by going back to basics.
• An influx of physicality is a must at the next level he is way too passive running his route and will be bullied by NFL corners going down the field.
• Would like to see better anticipation and instincts from him. Left some stuff out on the field when not recognizing holes in the zone or not working back to the ball.

Let’s see his work:

How He Would Fit On The Redskins

I really like Ford’s skills and wouldn't mind at all of he was the newest member of the Redskins receiving corps. His duality in being able to stretch the field and work across the middle opens up a lot of possibilities for him on offense even if he would likely be the 4th WR on the depth chart. As a general note, I think any early or mid-round addition at WR in the draft will likely be another pick for the future. Terrelle Pryor is only on a one-year deal and if he performs well will likely be looking for way more than his 8M salary come next year. If the team adds talent at the position I think it's going to be a versatile player like Ford that has the ability to play all over the field though he may not be completely refined.

Ford was target #1 at Virginia Tech so I’m really curious how he feels about blocking on a more consistent basis and playing special teams. What Ford brings to the table though is another deep passing threat for the Redskins as well as a player that can be used in intermediate and short yardage situations. He has a lot to work on most notably recognizing opportunities in zone coverage and being mindful and working back to the QB when the route is over but he has a tremendous amount of upside for a mid round prospect.