Denzel Ward’s game still draws plenty of respect around the league, even if the broader spotlight hasn’t followed him to Cleveland.
ESPN’s latest position rankings pushed the Browns corner from third a year ago to seventh this time around, a drop that says more about perception than production. Around the NFL, Ward is still viewed as one of the cleanest cover men in the sport - the kind of player who can erase mistakes with pure burst and recovery speed.
“If Ward played in Kansas City or New England, he’d be the talk of the NFL,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “He doesn’t get the credit he should.
Twitch or closing speed, there’s no one better. He closes faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.
In coverage, that is a special trait.”
The voting was tight, too, with Ward and fourth-ranked Devon Witherspoon separated by a narrow margin.
For Cleveland, Ward has long been the kind of defender who shows up in every phase. He’s made his name by matching up with different types of receivers, coming downhill as a tackler and delivering the kind of big plays that can swing a game. Even with that track record, he’s also dealt with the sort of missed time that keeps him from ever quite stacking together a full season.
A veteran NFL defensive coach still put it plainly.
“You look back over the last decade and he’s been one of the most consistent corners in the league,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “He’s just always been a really gifted guy.”
Ward has played 110 games in eight seasons and has never had a major injury that kept him off the field. The Browns’ recent struggles - just eight wins over the last two seasons - may have dulled his national profile, but they haven’t changed the way people inside the league view his talent.
With training camp approaching and rumors already circling after the Browns traded away DE Myles Garrett, Ward’s name is bound to keep coming up. GM Andrew Berry isn’t signaling a fire sale, and Ward plans to stay put, but the chatter around a talented corner on a young roster isn’t going away anytime soon.
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