2018 NFL Draft: Denzel Ward leads impressive defensive back pool
Ohio State corner back Denzel Ward is one of many talented defensive secondary pieces available in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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Everyone knew, including Denzel Ward, that this would be his final season with the Ohio State Buckeyes.He solidified any further doubt when he chose to sit out of the team’s Rose Bowl game against the USC Trojans.
Ward was the main catalyst for a very under-appreciated and underrated Buckeyes defense this season. He helped highlight the Big Ten as one of the best defensive conferences in the nation- along with his counterpart over at Iowa, Josh Jackson.
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Ward has become the definition of a lock-down corner rather than someone who stuffs the stat sheet with interceptions or defensive touchdowns. In 2017, he recorded his first ever interception of his career in his third year with the team and only finished with two on the season. He did end up with an impressive 37 tackles and was good for 15 pass breakups.
One could argue that those stats do not seem all that flashy, but the truth of the matter is- not a lot of teams threw his way because of the great job he did blanketing receivers.
Strengths
Ward is a multi-purpose defensive back that can get up to an opposing receiver’s face at the line and press him or sit back and cover a zone perfectly. His tremendous speed and athleticism allow him to recover instantly if beaten, but more importantly grant him access to keep up with any route runner. He often times uses his big burst of speed to close in on gaps and get in the way of a pass that seemed to be heading to an open receiver.
Denzel Ward did a great job in 2017 at limiting completions on passes thrown his way pic.twitter.com/y0a2mZclXe
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 21, 2018
Not only did quarterbacks avoid throwing towards him at all costs, but when they did- it was very unlikely to get through. Ward continues to be one of the best lockdown corners in all of the draft and can make an immediate impact on any NFL defense.
Weaknesses
Unfortunately, some teams are going to look at the low interception numbers in his three years at Ohio State and look into that more closely. While the dropped and missed passes are great and nothing to look over, Ward will need to work on finding the ball in the air a bit faster and more efficient to try to make a play.
With a defensive line like he had at Ohio State that was consistently forcing poor throws, Ward will be asked to make plays on great throws and he must be in position to produce a game-altering play.
Next: Latest pre-Combine first round NFL Mock Draft
Draft Expectations:
While Ward certainly is one of the best defensive players available, it is projected by many that offensive will be the top priority in the first round, especially with the high picks. It is possible Ward falls due to other needs by teams, but it is almost certain he will be selected in the mid to late first round.