Auburn pass rusher Dee Ford told SBNation.com on Tuesday that he has a workout scheduled with the Patriots. The 6-foot-2, 252-pound defensive end had 10.5 sacks during his senior season with the Tigers.
The Patriots could be looking for a third pass rusher to rotate with starters Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones. They also need a situational player to rush the quarterback from the edge on third down when Jones moves to defensive tackle.
Ford doesn’t have prototypical size for a Patriots defensive end, but he’s built similar to Ninkovich. He ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at his pro day earlier this month with a 7.06-second three-cone drill, 35.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-4 broad jump.
Ford was not allowed to participate in drills at the NFL Scouting Combine because of a preexisting back condition. He had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back in 2011.