Jimmie Ward pick reviews from media

[Hangman]

49ers pick Jimmie Ward in 1st - San Francisco 49ers Blog - ESPN

49ers pick Jimmie Ward in 1st
May, 8, 2014
May 8
11:44
PM ET
By Bill Williamson | ESPN.com

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The pick: Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois

My take: Stunned. Ward is a fine player, but considered by some as a second-round pick. The 49ers have now taken safeties in the first round of the past two drafts. They traded up to take Eric Reid last year. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. The 49ers signed Antoine Bethea to a four-year, $23 million deal in March after Donte Whitner left to join the Cleveland Browns. Ward could see some time in nickel packages as the 49ers are somewhat weak at cornerback.

No trade up: There was speculation the 49ers would trade up for a receiver like LSU's Odell Beckham or Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks. But those deals never developed and the 49ers will have five of the 68 selections Friday.

What’s next: The 49ers have more picks than anyone in the second and third rounds. Expect the 49ers to make some trades Friday. They can grab a receiver and a cornerback in the second round. Those spots remain the 49ers’ biggest needs.

 

[michaelwarner]

Daniel JeremiahVerified account ‏@MoveTheSticks

Love Jimmie Ward…one of the best nickel cover guys in the draft. Poor man's Earl Thomas coming out of Texas.

 

[Hangman]

Jimmie Ward 2014 NFL Draft Profile - ESPN

Jimmie Ward

DS
5-10⅝, 193 lbs
N Illinois

Scouts Grade84
Position Rank4
Overall Rank46
Arm Length31"
Hand Size9-1/4"
40-YD Dash4.6
ConferenceMAC

2014 Draft Pick Info
Team Round PK(OVR)
SFO 1 30(30)

2013 NCAA Football Stats
Tackles Sacks INT
89 1.0 6

2014 Draft Results
Jimmie Ward

Profile

Draft Analysis
WHAT HE BRINGS
Ward is undersized but brings solid versatility to hold up in center field and drop down in the slot to play man coverage. He also shows above-average instincts and ball skills in coverage. In addition, he makes a quick diagnosis and is consistent in run support.

Draft Results
Overall Football Traits

Production 1
2010: (14/0)- 21-1-0 2011: (14/12)- 100-4-1 2012: (13/13)- 104-11-3 2013: (14/14)- 95-10-7 Career: 4 FF, 1 FR, 2 sacks, 4 blocked punts. Career punt returns: 3-46-15.3-1
Height-Weight-Speed 3 Slightly shorter than average DS and lacks prototypical bulk. Lean lower body. Arm length (31') is shorter than ideal but above-average hand span (9 3/8'). Very good top-end speed (verified with 4.48 at Pro Day).

Durability 3

Smallish frame and aggressive style creates long-term durability concern in NFL. Did not participate at combine due to foot injury (small fracture). Worked out at March 7 pro day, and then underwent surgery a week later to have a screw inserted in foot. But had strong track record of durability at NIU; played in 55 games (39 starts) during four seasons and missed just one due to injury.

Intangibles 4
Comes with some maturity and character red flags, according to several NFL scouts and coaches. Inconsistent personal discipline. Special teams' standout early in career. Set school-record three punt blocks as a freshman in 2010. Career-high 14 tackles vs. FSU in Orange Bowl (1-1-13). Son of Torcivia and Derrick Daniels.

Safety Specific Traits

Instincts/Recognition

3 Will get caught peeking on occasion. Can be late with key-and-diagnose, and occasionally will be late reacting to pass (and will be forced to recover in coverage). Has playmaker aggressiveness and confidence. Good anticipation and route recognition when working in zone. Knows when to attack ball and when to attack body. Can improve down-to-down focus. See too many plays on tape where he's not dialed in when ball snapped.

Cover Skills 2

Quick, balanced athlete with good body control, but has a touch of stiffness in hips and has good  but not elite  top-end playing speed. Bit high in pedal but shows solid burst out of pedal, and also closes quickly in short area. Offers versatility with extensive experience working both in slot (man and zone) and at high-point (as man-free centerfielder). Good in press coverage. Physical. Can improve technique, but usually good job making contact and re-routing.

Ball Skills 2

Good overall ball skills. Can pluck away from frame. Strong hand-eye coordination. Quick to adjust and has good body control. Has been late locating over shoulder on occasion. Production matches skill set: 11 career INTs and dangerous with ball in hands (see: INT return vs. EIU 2013).

Run Support 2

Poor man's Earl Thomas (Versatile in coverage and strong in run support, despite lack of ideal size). Not big, but is tough and has nasty demeanor. Solid wrap up tackler in space. Usually plays under control. Struggles to get off blocks when reached at times. Does a good job of submarining bigger ball carriers Surprising ability to generate power in short area for smaller frame. Lower-body explosiveness on tape is verified by impressive vertical (38') and broad (10'6') jumps. Surprisingly weak on bench press, though, with only nine reps.

1 = Exceptional2 = Above average3 = Average4 = Below average5 = Marginal

 

[Hangman]

30

Jimmie Ward

Northern Illinois
S

San Francisco


Todd McShay talks about the 49ers' first round draft choice, Jimmie Ward.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10905678

What he brings:
Ward is undersized but brings solid versatility to hold up in center field and drop down in the slot to play man coverage. He also shows above-average instincts and ball skills in coverage. In addition, he makes a quick diagnosis and is consistent in run support.

 

[Hangman]

30
Jimmie
Ward
S 5-11 192 Northern Illinois
GRADE 6.60 PLAYER PROFILE
In Super Bowl XLVIII, Seattle's Kam Chancellor re-established the value of the safety who could play in lurk (mid-field) coverage against slot receivers and tight ends, adding an important element to a team's overall defensive concepts. Ward has already done a lot of lurking, and he'll be a great asset when the 49ers move to their nickel and dime coverages because he covers so much ground and in so many different ways. - Doug Farrar

Read More: 2014 NFL Draft Picks by Team, Player and Position - SI.com

 

[Hangman]

San Francisco 49ers select Jimmie Ward No. 30 overall in the 2014 NFL draft | Audibles - SI.com

San Francisco 49ers select Jimmie Ward No. 30 overall in the 2014 NFL draft
NFC West, NFL Draft, NFL draft 2014, San Francisco 49ers
By Doug Farrar

The San Francisco 49ers have none of the four starting members of the secondary that helped them to the Super Bowl two years ago. They got LSU safety Eric Reid in the first round of the 2013 draft as an estimable building block, and now, by adding Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward to the mix, San Francisco has potentially as good and versatile a safety duo as there is in the league — outside of divisional rival Seattle, of course. Ward is a special player with unusual versatility.

Strengths: Plays well everywhere in the defensive backfield — from deep center field to slot cornerback. Ward has tremendous range and can cover a lot of ground in a big hurry, and he’s on point when he gets there — he doesn’t overreach as much as you’d expect for a player who’s going all-out at all times. Makes plays in the passing game from inside the seams to outside the numbers and can roll back into deep coverage from linebacker depth. Times his hits exceptionally well to deflect and break up passes. Ward plays a lot of slot coverage, and this may be his most appealing value to NFL teams. His footwork is outstanding, and his backpedal speed really shows up on tape. Doesn’t allow a lot of yards after the catch — if a receiver grabs a catch in his area, Ward is quick to end the play.

Weaknesses: Gets a bit stiff in coverage situations where he needs to turn his hips and run quickly in a straight line; not a natural mover in those circumstances. Though he can get vertical, Ward will be challenged by tight ends and bigger receivers — with his height, there’s only so high he can go. Takes on blockers fearlessly at the line of scrimmage, but needs to put on functional weight to deal with them — he’s a thin guy who struggles in physical battles and needs to shoot through gaps to tackle or blitz. Will occasionally bite on play-action and play-fakes because he’s so aggressive to the ball.

Grade: A+.

 

[Hangman]

49ers grab safety Jimmie Ward at No. 30 | ProFootballTalk

49ers grab safety Jimmie Ward at No. 30
Posted by Michael David Smith on May 8, 2014, 11:37 PM EDT

For the second year in a row, the 49ers have drafted a safety in the first round of the NFL draft.

With the 30th overall pick, San Francisco added Jimmie Ward, a safety from Northern Illinois. Last year the 49ers used their first-round pick on safety Eric Reid.

Ward was the fourth safety selected in the last 13 picks, with the run on safeties also including Calvin Pryor to the Jets, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to the Packers and Deone Bucannon to the Cardinals. Although this wasn’t viewed as a great draft for elite safeties, there was clearly depth at the position.

And although he lacks the size teams usually like in safeties, Ward may be the one with the most potential of the bunch. He’s fast, explosive and aggressive, and he was very productive in college. He should make a good 49ers defense better.

 

[Hangman]

With 30th overall pick, 49ers select S Jimmie Ward | CSN Bay Area

SANTA CLARA – The 49ers did not trade up. Then, when they went on the clock, they made a stunning pick of Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward.

Jimmie Ward
Safety
Northern Illinois
5 foot 11
193 pounds
Selection: First round, No. 30 overall
Chosen ahead of: WR Marqise Lee (USC), WR Cody Latimer (Indiana), WR Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt), WR Davante Adams (Fresno State), DT Stephon Tuitt (Notre Dame), CB Bradley Roby (Ohio State).
College career: He had four career blocked kicks on special teams in college. A three-year starter (39 career starts) with excellent production, leading the team in tackles and interceptions as a junior and senior. He was named All-MAC the past three seasons. He recorded 11 interceptions in his college career.
Scouting report: “Ward doesn’t look like much but packs a punch and plays bigger than he looks with an energetic mentality and confident attitude. He is instinctive, scrappy and physical and plays the game with strong conviction. Ward’s tape shows off his versatility with experience lining up at FS, CB, and WLB, spending time in man and zone and handling multiple responsibilities – future NFL starter at FS” – NFLDraftScout.com

RELATED: NFL Draft Tracker: Pros & Cons]

How he fits: The selection of Ward is a big surprise, considering the 49ers selected Eric Reid in the first round last season. And in free agency, the 49ers awarded veteran Antoine Bethea a four-year, $21 million contract. He has a chance to compete for playing time as the slot corner. But, more than likely, he will be a special-teams standout in his first year and eventually work into a starting job in future seasons.
Next scheduled pick: Second round, No. 56 overall (Friday).

 

[Hangman]

Jimmie Ward, SS, Northern Illinois, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com


Strengths Weaknesses
STRENGTHS: Compact frame. Remarkably fluid athlete with quick feet, smooth change-of-direction agility and easy acceleration. Dropped down to cover slot receivers with solid man-to-man skills to handle a similar role in the NFL.

Good balance and lateral agility, including the ability to sprawl to avoid cut-blocks. Physical, competitive defender who doesn't back down from the challenges of bigger opponents. Very good diagnosis skills and closes quickly and forcefully. Takes proper angles in pursuit, limiting breakaway opportunities for opponents. Eased concerns that his stellar play was due in part to questionable competition at the Senior Bowl.

WEAKNESSES: Shorter than scouts prefer, a fact that could lead to some projecting him at cornerback. Good but less-than-ideal speed to recover if beaten initially. Gets too grabby once he's turned around. Leaves his feet to tackle, creating some impressive collisions but occasionally failing to wrap up securely. Misses tackles against the bigger, stronger athletes.

Compares To: Glover Quin, Lions - Quin might not be the most popular player in the league but the six-year veteran out of New Mexico has quietly proven a quality starter despite marginal size (6-0, 205).
Player Overview
A Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist as a senior, Ward was all over the field in 2013, leading the team in tackles with 92, including a whopping 62 solo stops. He was also one of the nation's best ball-hawking safeties with seven interceptions and 10 pass break-ups.

What separates Ward from other undersized prospects is his versatile skill set and training to play any position in the defensive backfield. His versatility should be highly appealing to NFL teams and may even draw higher grades for Ward than expected.

 

[Hangman]

WalterFootball.com: 2014 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jimmie Ward

Jimmie Ward, 5-10/191

Safety

Northern Illinois


Jimmie Ward Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:
Man-coverage ability on slot receivers
Could conceivably play some nickel corner
Instinctive
Quickness
Fluid, can flip his hips and run
Covers a lot of ground
Always around the ball
Solid run-defender
Excellent tackler
Ball skills
Superb at picking up receivers in off-man coverage
Natural zone-safety skills
Versatility
Intelligence
Durable
Experienced




Weaknesses:
Undersized
Short
Lacks length
Could use more strength
Could get pushed around by big receivers, tight ends
Receivers, tight ends can make catches over him even in tight coverage
Lacks size to be the eighth man in the box
Level of competition


Summary: The NFL is a passing-driven league, and safeties with the ability to play some man coverage are a hot commodity. That makes Ward one of the more intriguing safeties in the 2014 NFL Draft. While Ward is undersized, his pass-coverage skills are special, and he looks like he will be an asset as a defender of slot receivers.

Starting early in his career, Ward was an impact defender for Northern Illinois. He recorded 100 tackles, an interception and four passes broken up as a sophomore in 2011. The next season, Ward was even better with 104 tackles and three interceptions. He finished his junior year with a good game against Florida State and its talented wide receivers.

In 2013, Ward had 95 tackles with seven interceptions and 10 passes defended. He followed that up with an impressive week of practice at the Senior Bowl. Ward did really well matching up in coverage against the all-star receivers. He picked them up down field and kept them from getting open. Ward did well in one-on-ones and looks ready to compete at the next level.

Ward's best trait for the NFL is his ability to line up and cover slot receivers. His quickness, flexibility and fluid athleticism allow him to line up at the line of scrimmage or pick up slot receivers in off-man coverage. Ward will be a real asset to his defense when going against dangerous slot receivers.

In the deep part of the field, Ward covers a lot of ground and is very smart about getting in position to defend deep wide outs. Coaches should be able to trust Ward as the deep safety over the top who can help his cornerbacks.

Ward was a good run-defender in college, as his tackle totals indicate. He tackles well and does a nice job of weaving through blockers. Ward is smart about how he tackles by taking the legs out from underneath backs. However, Ward is undersized and could have some issues with power backs.

The size could be a detriment for Ward in covering receiving tight ends and big wide receivers. He has the skills to match up on them and prevent separation, but tight ends and tall receivers will be able to make catches over him. Ward's size is the biggest negative, and if he were larger, he could be a first-round prospect.

For the NFL, Ward will work well as a free safety who plays center field. His ability to match up on slot receivers will be a real asset for his defense. With Ward's coverage abilities, he should be a second-day pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Eric Weddle. There is a key similarity between Ward and Weddle. Like Weddle, Ward has the ability to cover slot receivers and tight ends. Neither Weddle or Ward is overly physical at laying the lumber on receivers downfield. However, both can be impact players in pass coverage. Weddle has been selected as an All-Pro three times and has gone to the Pro Bowl. Weddle (5-11, 200) is slightly bigger than Ward and was a second-round pick in 2007. Ward could be a second- or third-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. In the NFL, Ward could turn into a safety who is similar to Weddle.

NFL Matches: St. Louis, Baltimore, Minnesota, Chicago, Green Bay, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Arizona, New York Jets

There are a lot of teams that could consider drafting Ward on the second day of the 2014 NFL Draft. The Eagles have a huge hole at safety, but Chip Kelly has a preference for safeties with size.

Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said that improving the safety position would be a goal of the offseason. Ward and Matt Elam could form an athletic tandem.

The Jets need to improve their safeties, and Ward would be a good fit for Rex Ryan.

In the NFC North, the Vikings could use a safety to pair with Harrison Smith and have an extra third-round pick from the Percy Harvin trade. The Bears could look for an upgrade over Chris Conte and Major Wright. Ward would fit Mel Tucker's defense well. The safety position was a weakness for the Packers last year. They need to find a partner to go with Morgan Burnett. Ward isn't really their type of defensive backs as they prefer longer and rangy athletes, but Ward's coverage skills would come in handy for a defense that had a lot of busted coverage last year.

In the NFC West, the 49ers could use an understudy to Donte Whitner. The Cardinals got a good season out of Yeremiah Bell last year, but they will need to get a long-term starter. The Rams have a huge need at safety. They need a safety with coverage skills to pair with T.J. McDonald.

 

[Hangman]

49ers Blog and Q&A: 49ers tap safety Jimmie Ward in first round

49ers tap safety Jimmie Ward in first round

For the second straight season, the 49ers took a safety in the first round, although Jimmie Ward might be best suited as a nickel cornerback early in his career. The Northern Illinois safety is 5-11, 193, which is undersized for an NFL player at his position and quite a bit smaller than Eric Reid, the team's top pick last season. The 49ers' biggest free-agent pickup, Antoine Bethea, also is a safety, and he and Reid are expected to start this season.

Ward was dealing with a foot injury during the combine in February, but he performed well at his pro day in March, which the 49ers attended. Ward reportedly ran his 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds, which would have been the second fastest time for a safety at the combine. In 2013, he had a team-high 95 tackles, seven interceptions and 17 pass deflections. Ward was a third-team All-American, a first-team All-MAC selection and a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2013. Ward was one of nine defensive backs taken in the first round Thursday.

In the days before the draft, a buzz built that the 49ers would trade up in the first round and that LSU receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. was their likely target. Two receivers, Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans, were taken in the first seven picks, then the Giants snapped up Beckham with the 12th pick.

Read more here: 49ers Blog and Q&A: 49ers tap safety Jimmie Ward in first round

 

[deep9er]

hey, his arms are short??!!

 

[Kinzu]

I'll say he looks very good at making open field tackles.

 

[4lifer9er]

it's very frustrating expecting us to move up because of all this ammo and then stay put and select a slot corner, when imo, we don't have a #1 on our team. I understand why they did it, but still.. I think he could be a good fit, but it is SOO disappointing. I feel bad for him because I think a lot of fans will not be happy with him on our team and will look for him to fail. I am glad he is on our team, and I think he could provide us the immediate slot corner upgrade and then in two to three seasons could become our FS and we release Bethea.. I am not gonna lie I am disappointed we didn't move up for Kyle Fuller or Brandin Cooks, but it is what it is.

 

[TobyTyler]

Just a horrendous and inexplicable pick with Marquise Lee still on the board. Even Carlos Hyyde or Tre Mason would have been better than fricking Ward.

 

[sjballer03]

it's very frustrating expecting us to move up because of all this ammo and then stay put and select a slot corner, when imo, we don't have a #1 on our team. I understand why they did it, but still.. I think he could be a good fit, but it is SOO disappointing. I feel bad for him because I think a lot of fans will not be happy with him on our team and will look for him to fail. I am glad he is on our team, and I think he could provide us the immediate slot corner upgrade and then in two to three seasons could become our FS and we release Bethea.. I am not gonna lie I am disappointed we didn't move up for Kyle Fuller or Brandin Cooks, but it is what it is.

It's been noted that the Niners were only going to trade up for ODB. They weren't enamored enough with the CBs to trade up for any of them. There are still some good CB prospects left. This draft is deep.

 

[Kinzu]

Only thing I don't like about the pick is I feel we could have made the trade with Vikings and still likely have got Ward. If they were really worried about another team grabbing him they could have easily traded up to insure they got him.

 

[TobyTyler]

Only thing I don't like about the pick is I feel we could have made the trade with Vikings and still likely have got Ward. If they were really worried about another team grabbing him they could have easily traded up to insure they got him.

Nobody else would have taken this guy this early, especially since he is injured. They could have gotten lee and then this cat Ward in the second.

 

[Kinzu]

Nobody else would have taken this guy this early, especially since he is injured. They could have gotten lee and then this cat Ward in the second.

They can still get Lee if they want him. They have the ammunition to easily move around in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. I don't think Lee is what they are looking for though.

 

[4lifer9er]

They can still get Lee if they want him. They have the ammunition to easily move around in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. I don't think Lee is what they are looking for though.

Moncrief/Mathews I would suspect with a Center at their other second round pick.