Breakout Player Profiles: Jacoby Ford, WR, Oakland Raiders

This is the fourth breakout player profile I’ve done this off-season. The first three were of Gerald McCoy, Jason Pierre Paul, and Navarro Bowman. Today I will look at a player I think could be a steal in fantasy football leagues this year in Jacoby Ford.

Jacoby Ford is a 5’9 185 pound player for the Oakland Raiders who was drafted in the fourth round by the Oakland Raiders. Jacoby Ford ran a 4.28 40 yard dash at the combine, so the running joke was htat of course he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders and that he would languish out in Oakland because the Raiders don’t know how to draft, they only draft speed. Ford was also an accomplished track and field sprinter at Clemson.

In college, Ford wasn’t super productive. His senior season was his best college season and in that year he had 56 receptions for 779 yards (13.9 yards per catch) and six touchdowns. 13.9 yards per reception is not significant for a guy who’s consider a speed/deep threat. He also had a punt return touchdown and two rushing touchdowns.

Ford heading into the draft was projected as a third to fifth round prospect and he came off the board with the 108th pick.

Last year Ford, didn’t start off the season on a high note as he didn’t record a reception until week 7 when he had two for 15 yards and 2 runs for 29 yards. He followed up that performance with another 2 catches for 22 yards and another carry for 11 yards, but from then on he shined. Over the next 8 games he had 21 catches and 433 yards (as well as two rushing touchdowns and a little over a 100 rushing yards). His huge breakout performance vs Kansas City (6 catches for 148 yards) came in his second start of the year and he started every game after that performance.

Coach Hue Jackson has put people on notice saying that Jacoby Ford , “is going to become a household name, because he has some very special ability.” Ford also doesn’t have a ton of competition at the WR spot in Oakland, barring a big improvement from Darris Heyward Bey or Louis Murphy.

Jacoby Ford breakout player candidate.

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