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The Cleveland Browns surprised many by selecting cornerback Denzel Ward with the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft over pass rusher Bradley Chubb. But Ward has been an instant hit among his teammates, who have pushed for the rookie to make his way up the team’s cornerback depth chart.
Linebacker and team captain Christian Kirksey has been similarly impressed with what he’s seen from Ward on the practice field. While the rookie doesn’t say much, Kirksey believes he can make his play on the field do all the talking for him.
Article Continues Below“Just seeing him on the practice field, he’s like a silent assassin,” Kirksey said of Ward per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. “He don’t say too much, but when he’s on the field his play is lock. Him being a lockdown corner like I see will give Myles Garrett an extra step to the quarterback.”
As Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams explained, a big reason the team picked Ward over Chubb was Ward’s fit in their press coverage scheme. His ability to jam receivers will help prevent quarterbacks from getting rid of the ball right away, which will then give pass rushers like Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah more time to get to the quarterback.
From everything that’s come out from the Browns’ camp thus far, it seems as if Ward is capable of living up to the hype. If Ward does succeed in being the lockdown corner Kirksey believes he can be, the Browns’ defense will be all the better for it.
