Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward impresses at pro day
Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward fancies himself a safety who can do a little bit of everything. Man coverage, zone coverage, tackling — he says he does it all, just like some of his favorite NFL safeties.
The truth is, thanks to Seattle’s 5-foot-10 dynamo Earl Thomas, it’s never been a better time to be a safety with range and coverage ability. So for Ward, who could not work out at the NFL combine two weeks ago due to a small fracture in his foot, Northern Illinois’ pro day on Friday was about displaying the athleticism that has led some draft analysts to peg him as a solid second-round pick.
“I just feel like basically, you’ve got to cover a lot of ground,” Ward said.
In front of approximately 30 NFL teams ― including some members of the Chiefs’ staff, according to Northern Illinois football spokeswoman Donna Turner ― the 5-foot-11, 193-pound Ward proceeded to record a 38-inch vertical jump, a 10 1/2-foot broad jump and, most importantly, a 4.45 40-yard dash.
His 40-yard dash time would would have been the second-best time at the combine among safeties, while his vertical jump would have tied for first and his broad jump would have tied for second.
It was an eye-opening performance, particularly after he capped a strong collegiate career by racking up a team-high 95 tackles, seven interceptions and 17 pass deflections as a senior in 2013. It was, perhaps, a performance that any team seeking a safety with cover ability ― such as the Chiefs ― might be tempted to keep in mind, especially if plans for upgrading the position during free agency falls through over the coming days.
Free agency begins on March 11, but starting today, teams are finally allowed to talk contracts with players’ agents, and there is no shortage of talented players at Ward’s position on the market, including Buffalo’s Jairus Byrd, Carolina’s Mike Mitchell and Miami’s Chris Clemons.
But while it’s safe to say several teams may soon eliminate their need for a cover safety, the NFL’s evolution into a passing league means many teams may still find it tempting to take a young, cost-effective player with those skills in May’s draft. That’s why NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock may be on point when he lists Ward behind Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Louisville’s Calvin Pryor but is doubtful Ward would fall to the third round, where the Chiefs ― who have no second-round pick ― would most likely have to get him.
“One of my favorite safeties in this draft is Jimmie Ward from Northern Illinois, but I’m not sure he’s getting out of the second round,” Mayock said before the combine. “Ward has done a great job, A, in his career, and, then, B, at the Senior Bowl.”
But Mayock said there is a major concern regarding Ward, and it relates to his durability, despite the fact Ward only missed one game in his collegiate career due to injury. Turner confirmed he will soon undergo surgery for the foot fracture that kept him out of the combine, though it's not expected to keep him out long after the draft.
“I think the only negative on him is that teams worry about his durability, but the kid never misses a game anyway,” Mayock said. “It’s just the size that worries the teams.”
Mayock, however, quickly reiterated that he thinks Ward “is a great football player” who will “go in the second round.”
If he does, he’ll be able to look back at his pro day performance ― not to mention the latest craze surrounding cover safeties like Seattle’s Thomas ― as the reasons he was able to solidify that status, deep free-agent class or not.
“I did a lot of Cover 1 in college,” Ward said. “I was in man coverage, and sometimes I was the back safety and sometimes I was the nickel. I just feel like that’s what a lot of people look for.”
This story was originally published March 7, 2014 at 9:09 PM with the headline "Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward impresses at pro day."