Chicago Bears Draft Scout: Denzel Ward

Parker Hurley

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 02: Denzel Ward

Is Denzel Ward a top ten pick fit for the Chicago Bears?

Measurables

Age: 21

School: Ohio State

Strengths

Denzel Ward is versatile, instinctive and athletic. The combination is deadly. Ward has a great ability to get right up under the wide receivers chin strap while consistently matching his receiver step for step down the field. It is a similar trait to what Marshon Lattimore brought to Ohio State last season.

Below Ward is following his man stride for stride down the field with no help over the top. He forces the quarterback to put the ball into a tiny space and closes well.

Ward has great foot quickness which shows in his abilities to recover and close. Watch below as he chases down his man in space across the field. The cross forces Ward to take an awkward path, but he moves fluidity, finds the ball and winds up forcing an incompletion with his excellent break on the pass.

The ability to recover gives him the confidence to play tight to the line of scrimmage, and also gives him the confidence to bait wide receivers with a step deep. Ward is always playing the comeback or curl routes. He knows that he can recover deep and wants to test quarterbacks in their abilities. In the play below his awareness shows as he reads the receiver, knows the ball is coming and can completely turn his body around for an interception.

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On top of that, he has great technique and fluidity in his footwork. Watch Ward emerge from the bottom right on the play below. He is on that wide receiver step-for-step as he attempts a double move over the middle. He is so smooth in his movements.

Ward is fast, agile, athletic and most important of all terrific at reading wide receivers, understanding concepts and pattern matching.

Weaknesses

Ward is a bit undersized by a lot of outside NFL standards. He does have terrific tape in the slot, but the question then becomes how much more valuable is an outside cornerback than a slot option? Is there a chance that the slot is the ceiling for Ward? There have been situations where bigger wide receivers will be able to out muscle and outsize him. It shows up in the red zone, and the team will have to be careful about who exactly he can line up with.

His biggest issues in coverage come from not getting his head back quick enough. As mentioned, he reads receivers well. However, that means exposing his back to the quarterback often, and relying on context clues as to when to turn. In the NFL, if Ward gets his head around too late, he will get called for pass interference. There are also questions with his tackling and defense of the running game. He is active, but his size limits his efforts.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 05: Wide receiver Nelson Agholor

Pro Comparison: Chris Harris, Denver Broncos

Harris has a similar size, but also makes up for it with technical footwork, foot quickness and understanding. He is one of the more savvy cornerbacks in the NFL. That is the type of upside that Denzel Ward could potentially bring to the table.

Chris Harris was told he was undersized. He was told that he had to stick to the slot. However, his knowledge and understanding made his ability to pattern match and gave him advantages to make up for his size.

Denzel Ward is not elite in terms of size but his arms are long enough, and being so advanced in so many other areas of the game is what makes him such an intriguing prospect. If he can increase his game and avoid the pass interference calls, he is going to make it on the outside. If not, his low end of being a stand up slot cornerback is not a bad situation to be place in. His feet are quick enough to consistently live in the slot or outside.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 02: Denzel Ward

A fit for Chicago Bears?

Lets face it, even if the Chicago Bears do sign Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara, the cornerback position will need to be addressed via the NFL draft. The two are both coming off of impressive seasons, but also have the up and down nature of their careers behind them.

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It would be hard to look at this cornerback group and think that they are a team that is set for the longterm. Ward is very much on the table, and could beat out a player such as Prince Amukamara in training camp. The team is not committed to Bryce Callahan either, so if the slot does become an option for Ward, he can fit in there as well.

Denzel Ward is scheme versatile, alignment versatile, and has the upside of a player that is a shut down cornerback in the NFL. He could be in play for the eighth overall pick, and there are worse places the team can look than Denzel Ward from Ohio State.

Parker Hurley

IUP Alum. Pittsburgh native. Follows NFL, NCAAB, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Steelers and Pirates critic, Penguins homer. Write about the Chicago Bears and other relevant NFL news