Jacoby Ford of Clemson Looks to Improve NFL Draft Stock with Solid Senior Bowl

The NFL has been buzzing this season over the speed of one Chris Johnson.

Clemson senior Jacoby Ford will likely supplant Johnson as the fastest man in the NFL next year.

Ford has guaranteed a 4.2-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and ran a 4.126 in high school.

No, that's not a typo—it's just ridiculous speed.

Clemson's standout receiver had the opportunity to compete at the Beijing Summer Olympics but turned down the chance in favor of football. Last March, Ford won the national championship in the 60-meter dash and was a mere one-hundredth of a second shy of the NCAA record in that event.

It's nearly impossible to question Jacoby Ford's speed, and NFL scouts generally don't. However, speed doesn't automatically convert to ability on the football field. That's the very reason that Ford's participation in this Saturday's Senior Bowl is so important.

The speedster needs to prove that he can run high-quality routes, a hole in Ford's skill set that NFL scouts often point to as his single greatest weakness. Although Ford has excellent hands and above average blocking skills, he needs to perform well in the Senior Bowl to prove that he can be more than just a blur down the field.

If Jacoby can successfully do that this Saturday, he may just sneak into the first round of the NFL draft and join teammate C.J. Spiller. With a good impression on scouts at the Senior Bowl, in addition to a record 40 at the combine, Ford will be getting some serious late first round consideration.

Who wouldn't want a guy faster than Chris Johnson on their team?