2018 Cleveland Browns: Early Team MVP Award predictions

4. Denzel Ward, CB

Denzel Ward, during his time at Ohio State University, became just another cornerback in a long line of cornerbacks. A long line of cornerbacks that the Ohio State Buckeyes would send to the NFL, that is.

If Ward’s proverbial bloodline is to be taken seriously, he should absolutely light the league on fire as a rookie. Since the turn of the decade alone, four “big time” cornerbacks have come from the scarlet and grey.

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With Bradley Roby, Eli Apple, Marshon Lattimore, and Gareon Conley all coming before him, the pressure on Ward to perform is immense. To add to this, Browns fans have been clamoring for the team to draft at least one Buckeye over the past few years, even decades.

If there is one cornerback with a chance to completely change and reinvigorate this Browns secondary, it is Denzel Ward. Ward is young, yes, and a bit undersized at about 5-foot-10. But with the pedigree of Ohio State cornerbacks from the past few years, he could be the next in line.

In addition, Ward makes up for his slight build with blazing speed. With a 4.32-second 40-yard dash, Ward can cover most any wide receiver in the NFL. Ward’s ball skills are second to none in this class, and he can cover in both zone and man.

Gregg Williams is likely licking his chops at the prospect of having the uber-speedy Ward on this defense. Williams loves to blitz, and having a possible shut-down corner like Ward will ensure that if the quarterback does get the ball off somehow, that pass isn’t going for a completion.

MVP is rarely ever a defensive award these days, but Team MVP could fit No. 4 overall pick Denzel Ward perfectly. A physical corner with incredible speed, Ward should look to reform Cleveland’s secondary and reclaim the Dawg Pound backfield in 2018.