Browns draft Denzel Ward

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns may have disappointed me a little (Much like you would be disappointed when your car falls on top of you) at one with the selection of Baker Mayfield, but I was reasonably happy at the fourth slot when the Browns selected a Buckeye in cornerback Denzel Ward.
The drafting of Ward at 4 is the highest for a cornerback since Charles Woodson in 1998.


I would say reasonably happy because even though I had Ward rated as my top cornerback and top player period among players in the secondary, I still would have taken Bradley Chubb of N.C.State and let Chubb and Myles Garrett rampage through offensive lines that couldn't afford to double-team both players.
I would have selected Chubb, but that's not a bad reflection on Ward at all.
I just would have rather had the best pass rusher than the best cornerback, but let's look at Ward and being a Buckeye, you know I've seen every game that he has played.

Ward is fast and athletic with the ability to play either man to man or zone so Ward won't be a cornerback that is wedded to a particular defensive scheme.
What I really like about Denzel Ward is his ball skills and has excellent hands for a corner, which is not very often written.
After all, one of the old standard statements is that cornerbacks are often wide receivers with bad hands.
The only knocks on Ward are that he's not the biggest corner at 5'10 185 and can be pushed off the ball by the bigger wide receivers.
Some of that can be helped with just growing and getting stronger, but those are minor issues.

Ohio State continues to pump out NFL caliber players in the secondary and you can look back to just last year when Marshon Lattimore won defensive rookie of the year for the Saints.
I rated Lattimore a little higher last year than I had Ward this year, but Ward is projected to be an elite cornerback.

The second round is today and the Browns have two of the top three picks.
There are some excellent players available for them.
My top rated offensive tackle is still on the board in Connor Williams of Texas and my second rated runner slid a bit in Derrius Guice of LSU.
If that is the pair that the Browns land with those picks, I'll feel a little better about the draft so far.
Nothing is going to make me feel great about Baker Mayfield, but hitting on the day two picks will make me feel a bit less sick about things.
I like Josh Jackson, a corner from Iowa a lot, but are the Browns willing to take another cornerback that high after taking Denzel Ward?
Mike Gesicki of Penn State could be an impact player at tight end and even though the Browns took David Njoku in the first round last year, Gesicki is a first round talent and I think he could be a super player.
I noted yesterday that I liked Courtland Sutton, the wideout from SMU and he is still available as is Anthony Miller of Memphis.

I would go Williams/Gesicki if both are available at 33/35 and as much as I like Guice, there are several solid backs on the board (Most notably Ronald Jones.Kerryon Johnson and Nick Chubb) that one of those could be available with the Eagles pick at the end of the round.

I still have so much to do here with the review of the last trip and the bursting at the seams inbox, but hang in there, we'll get caught up soon!