2014 NFL Draft: Auburn’s Dee Ford has strong Pro Day; Runs 40 in 4.53
By Jack Crosby
Despite a strong showing in the field in the 2014 Senior Bowl, Auburn Tigers defensive end Dee Ford lost a bit of confidence with some NFL scouts when he wasn’t medically cleared to take part in the most recent NFL Scouting Combine. However, there was always his Pro Day to make that up, and the former Tigers standout certainly did that as he turned in a rather strong performance in front of those scouts on Tuesday.
What was most notable was the fact that Ford clocked in with the 40-yard dash at times of 4.53 and 4.59, which should give a huge boost to his stock in the upcoming draft.
.@dee_ford_ improves to a 4.53 40 on his 2nd run #AUProDay
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) March 4, 2014
To put this in further perspective, that 4.53 time puts him right on par with fellow end, Jadeveon Clowney.
In other statistics, Ford bench-pressed 225-pounds 29 times, and had a broad jump of 10-feet, four-inches. Both of those would have put him in the top half of the defensive line category at the Combine, would he have taken part.
Overall, this was exactly what Ford needed to get back into the good graces of the scouts that lost a bit of hope in him after his absence from the Combine workouts.