DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season 2018 NFL Draft Browns select Denzel Ward with the fourth overall pick

They didn't take a front 7 player in the first round, So that's a positive right there, because that would have been knocking a good player off the roster.

They got the quarterback with the highest ceiling, I believe, and also the most rookie year upside, but it will be a wait and see because Tyrod Taylor is a seasoned veteran.

Between Taylor and Mayfield, you have 2 players which are reportedly (from what I've read on this board), highly accurate, and better than average to not turn the ball over.

Mayfield has the same problem Manziel had, immaturity.

So what do you think he would do here lol

I am ok with the pick. We have a secondary problem. We knew that a corner was going to be in the mix, but I figured it would be with one of the second round picks.

Fast, fluid, hits like a truck. IMO, he was every bit as good as Lattimore in college. But healthier.

alot better then Mayfield. Mayfield's biggest problem is that he crumbles in the face of a pass rush.

Another under sized reach!

Still the factory of sadness. ..

It's about time we looked at Columbus,

I'm looking at 40 times, ball awareness

O H

In that case, it’ll be nice to have someone who can play the position. It’s definitely a need.

The funny thing about us Ohioans, we can't claim to be the best, until we claim our best.

If I'm drafting a CB at #4 (especially given the talent still on the board and trade possibilities) he had better turn into Deion Sanders, Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman, etc

So you think our front seven is perfect as is? GREAT! I expect to see 50+ sacks this year then. If we don't need any help on our defensive line, then they better PLAY like the best D line in football. They sure as hell didn't last season. So I have to wonder what makes you think we couldn't use Chubb? That having another stud DE would be a bad thing...

Would the same be for Bradley Chubb at 4? Does he have to be Julius Peppers, Reggie White, Von Miller, etc?

The D line was certainly alot more solidified than our all star D backfield...

I don't think our secondary is that bad though (before Ward). I mean, it's clearly totally revamped with Carrie and Gaines.


I guess it's what Gregg Williams wants for his defense. A star "shutdown" CB

No front 7 is perfect. Maybe they are trying to not have a real weak link in the defense?

I was livin the dream with Garrett one one side and Chubb on the other could be the most devastating pass rush in the NFL.

It's not like the FO and DC didn't think of that. They took the best pure corner because they believe it's best for the team. It doesn't make them idiots. It just means they know the team needs better than we do.

Yep ... IMO he has a better chance to reach that level than Ward does. (and for the record, Myles Garrett better be even BETTER .. rumors have it that he squelched the choice of Chubb)

More than that. I think it shows confidence that Dorsey has in our coaching staff.

That's who he said Gregg Williams wanted. A shutdown corner for his defense.

Drafting Denzel Ward means that he's committed to this coaching staff.


I was hoping for Chubb myself (the guy's a stud), but knowing that Dorsey has enough confidence in our coaching staff to select a player that was seen as a fit for it, makes me feel good.

I was very very nervous with the Allen rumors. But the selection of these two guys (and extension of Landry) has given me confidence in the direction this team is headed

I agree. Charles Woodson was picked #4. Deion sanders was the #5 pick in his draft.

I have had to digest this one. In the end I think it came down to what Williams wanted. I think his feeling was we needed a corner more than a pass rusher.

I think Ward is a really good player and should be a top corner for a long time. Even though this was a bit of a reach, and a need pick, we just got better as a football team.

(I still liked the idea of Chubb)

Gotta give you credit, peen, you called Mayfield-Ward.

I don't think it was a need pick, though. I believe Dorsey when he said he's taking best player available. And I was just going to comment that it's interesting that (Barkley aside) Ward was our top rated player in the draft.

I suppose so. Like i said, yesterday when Ward was selected, I wasn't mad....maybe a bit deflated is the word.

This morning I can't say I am elated, but having a shut down corner is a big advantage. No doubt he has to go out and do it just like any other player, but everything points to him being able to do so.

I am good. We are improved as a football team and there are still some good players on the board heading in to round two.

I am leaning towards Landry or Hurst, and maybe we do end up with a Chubb...called Nick.

Deflated is a good word. I had a lot of hopes for this draft. IMO, getting Darnold and Chubb would have been a milestone for all of us. Getting Mayfield and Ward feels like more of the same.

Damn, was hoping for more support for one of us, shout out to Macedonia

We did want Chubb, funny thing about faith, it tests you

O H I O

Hopefully we can see more positives. Mayfield it is then. On the bench it won't matter for us.

Dorsey is building something, or trying to. Need to remember that official line. I would rather have had other pairs, but we play these. I am a much bigger TT fan this morning than i was yesterday at supper.

I know, crazy right? People even getting upset they didn't trade down. Pffft ...Like that's ever worked.

Right, and ims till trying to figure out since when Mike Mayock board mattered so much?

I didn’t know he worked for the browns.

his passer rating under pressure 105.3 second highest in college football. Bro, if your gonna come up some bs, at least TRY to be accurate.

and if we traded down, they would have screamed. I don't care if they took uncle rico at 1 or 4, he wins some games - its a good pick

So the Browns FO is now taking input from first year players and allowing them to dictate who we take in the draft?

If anything, I would think Garrett would love to have a beast on the other side..

Agreed. The monster pass rush is mostly useless if the secondary can't even cover for the first 2.5 seconds and is constantly giving up large cushions. Your Defense is a completion waiting to happen; pitch & catch.

Get a secondary that can cover and affect plays in the first 1.5 seconds, and then you can turn the DLine loose.

j/c:

I'm guessing they chose Ward over Chubb, in part, because they are comfortable with Ogbah on the other side. However, pass rush depth is never a bad thing.

We'll see if they draft Landry

Good player,,, Just think it was a reach. Should have gone another direction.

Nah, Joe was slow. Ward is a much better prospect.


Love the pick, I had been saying he was in the mix here. Pretty happy with this one.

Denzel Ward - DB - Browns

Browns selected Ohio State CB Denzel Ward with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

This is a bit of a shock with NC State DE Bradley Chubb still on the board, but it is not a reach. Ward (5’11/183) rotated with Marshon Lattimore as a sophomore before exploding as a 2017 junior for first-team All-America honors with 17 pass breakups and two picks. Per PFF College, Ward allowed a stingy 35.1% completion rate in 2017 and 54.0 career passer rating when targeted. On tape, Ward showed dominant man-cover skills with fluid hips, lightning-quick feet, and blazing speed, and had a knack for forcing quarterbacks to make especially tiny-window throws to earn completions. He tested as a rare 98th-percentile SPARQ athlete in Indy, destroying the forty (4.32), vertical (39"), and broad (11’4") jumps. Be it in the slot or outside, Ward’s one-on-one matchup ability gives him the highest ceiling in this cornerback class.

Apr 26 - 8:38 PM
http://www.rotoworld.com/playernews/nfl/football/?ls=roto%3anfl%3amorenewstop

https://3sigmaathlete.com/rankings/cornerback/

Denzel Ward ranked No. 1 overall among CBs in SPARQ. He finished near the 99th percentile among NFL corners.


Guess Podesta is still doing his thing. "Football guys" use analytics too.

here is some info from the topic on Ward I posted a few weeks back.


Since the Browns have brought him in multiple times... let's open a discussion around him. I could see us picking him at 4 or even trading back with Buffalo to 12 and picking up the #22 pick and grabbing an OT.

Thoughts?

Article:

https://www.milehighreport.com/2018/4/3/...ack-denzel-ward

018 NFL Scouting Report: Scouting Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward
35
Ward would keep the Broncos No Fly Zone strong.
By Scotty Payne@Skotty_Payne Apr 3, 2018, 6:00am MDT
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Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
One prospect who may interest the Denver Broncos in the first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft is former Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward. He is a 5’10”, 191lb corner who is considered by some the top cornerback in the entire draft. Ward is ranked as the second-best corner in the 2018 NFL Draft according to NFLDraftScout.com and is also ranked as the 8th overall prospect in the draft.

Ward played three seasons at Ohio State and during that time was apart of one of the best defenses in the country during that span. During his three-year career, he totaled 67 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 interceptions and 24 pass deflections. This past season for the Ohio State Buckeye’s, Ward totaled 37 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 interceptions, and 15 pass deflections.



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The next great @OhioStateFB CB?
Get to know @NFLDraft prospect @denzelward.

2018 #NFLDraft: April 26-28 on @nflnetwork + FOX

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Ward was a first-team All-American on three of the five teams the NCAA uses to determine its consensus and unanimous All-American teams: Associated Press, The Sporting News, and AFCA.

Denzel Ward, Junior, Ohio State
Height: 5’10” Weight: 191lbs 40 time: 4.32 seconds

Arm Length: 31 3/4” Hands: 8 3/4”


Bench Press: 16 reps Vertical Jump: 39.0 inches

Broad Jump: 136.0 inches

Film Room:



Scouting Report:
Strengths

Explosive athlete
Has quick-twitch ability and is usually the fastest person on the field
Quick and good feet
Loose and fluid hips
Good balance and body control
Good closing speed to break up passes
Sticky in coverage and mirrors receivers well
Despite being under-sized he plays tough
Good read and react ability
Was dominant at Ohio State
Weaknesses

Undersized(Height/Weight)
Not a press corner
May struggle against bigger and strong wide receivers
Might just be a slot corner
His size limits him as a run defender
May have benefitted from a strong supporting cast at Ohio State
Quotable:
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah on Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward who he has ranked as his 4th rated player.

Ward is an undersized cornerback (5-foot-10, 191 pounds, per school measurements) with excellent quickness, toughness and ball skills. In press coverage, he is patient and he’ll catch and re-route before settling on the receivers and mirroring down the field. In off coverage, he is a fluid mover and explodes out of his plant to drive on the football. He is very twitched up. Ward’s ball awareness is excellent -- he can locate and high-point the ball down the field. His lack of size does show up on occasion vs. taller opponents, but overall, he plays much bigger than his height. He’s very aggressive in run support and has some snap on contact as a tackler. At the end of the day, Ward might lack ideal size, but he is a very skilled player and I love his competitiveness. He reminds me of a young Adam Jones.


Does Denzel Ward make sense for the Denver Broncos in the first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft?
I like Ward’s game. He’s a solid cover corner with great athletic traits who could become a ball-hawking corner in the NFL. However, I do not think he’s worth the 5th pick in the draft.

One of the quarterbacks, guard Quenton Nelson, running back Saquon Barkley, defensive end Bradley Chubb, and even linebacker Roquan Smith would be above Ward in my hypothetical big board. So while I like Ward, I think there will be better prospects available at 5.

Now, If Ward was added to the Broncos secondary, it would help fill the void left by Aqib Talib. He would instantly slide in as the Broncos third corner and likely play the slot. I believe he can play inside and outside but will be best in the slot. This would give the Broncos many matchup options considering all three corners(Harris and Roby) can play inside and outside as well.

Keep in mind, Harris is closing in on 30 years old and Roby is entering the final year of his rookie contract. So the Broncos might be looking for one of their future replacements in the 2018 NFL Draft.

So in the end, while I like Ward, I think the 5th pick will be a tad rich for him. However, I wouldn’t be all that upset if it happened.
_

He is undersized; let's hope his athleticism and ball skills makes up