Jimmie
Ward.
Jimmie
Ward.
Northern Illinois· 5'11"· 193 lb· 4.59s 40
Fangio's zone-heavy two-high safety system often demands versatile defensive backs capable of covering ground and making plays on the ball from both deep and intermediate zones.
Ward can develop into a starting free safety or a versatile nickel defender who can blitz, cover the slot, and play downhill in run support. His ceiling is a high-impact, scheme-versatile defensive back.
A traditional Cover-2 system with limited deep split-field safety responsibilities would not take advantage of his range and versatility.
Ward's athleticism and coverage skills make him a valuable asset in modern NFL defenses that prioritize adaptability and zone coverage principles.
Selected #30 overall in Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft by San Francisco 49ers out of Northern Illinois.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.59sp50
- Vertical
- —in
- Broad jump
- —in
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- 9repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Northern Illinois | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Northern Illinois | 13 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | Northern Illinois | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | — | 41 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Jimmie Ward has played safety and cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. He has been a versatile and reliable defensive back throughout his career, often playing multiple positions.