Quote:
Originally Posted by mcaj22
I think with Ford they just fell in love with his workouts. As an athlete his numbers are eye popping. Obviously it hasn't translated to the NFL level because it looks like his learning curve was bigger than they expected. They couldn't predict the concussions in the NFL either. But it's clear Ford was getting by in college by just being way more athletic than everyone else.
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I think the Chiefs and everyone else knew that's EXACTLY why Ford was getting by in college.
That's why they got him as late as they did. If the dude combined that kind of physical ability with a polished set of tools, he'd be a top 5 pick. Hell, Dante Fowler has similar/worse physical ability and an unpolished set of tools and still went in the top 3.
They knew he'd have a learning curve and frankly I don't think they ever expected Hali to stay productive for another season. When that happened, he didn't get much OTJ training and that's really the only way to learn at this level.
The book is far from written on Dee Ford and I really don't think the coaching staff is as down on him or as surprised by his relatively slow progress as many on here are.
Getting a day 1 stud in the latter half the round (Peters) is extremely rare, especially at premium positions. If Ford gives them even 3 solid years as a pass-rusher, that's a HR pick for a guy taken in the 20s.