The Cleveland Browns are one of many teams that will try to poach Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 NFL Draft, with cornerback Denzel Burke standing out as one player who will be studied with great interest around the league.
Amid Myles Garrett trade rumors that have former Buckeye cornerback Denzel Ward questioning his place with the team, Burke could be a player who helps give a beaten-up Browns fanbase a kernel of hope that suggests their once-mighty defense can still be a quality unit in 2025.
Burke has a ton of pedigree behind him, as he was a consistent starter for an Ohio State team that just won a national championship. Will those skills translate to the NFL?
Ohio State CB Denzel Burke 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Notes
Height: 6-1
Weight: 193
Recruiting: 2020 4-star, No. 199 national, No. 9 ATH, No. 3 AZ
Positives
- Experienced starter who shows off a tremendous football brain, able to quickly diagnose offensive concepts and make a play on the ball.
- Excellent ball skills, shows the ability to high-point the ball and create turnovers against bigger receivers.
- Knows how to use his size and physicality to overwhelm smaller receivers at the line of scrimmage
- Willing to be an active participant in run defense, improved year over year with regards to tackling and shedding blocks.
Burke has made a ton of plays against many future professionals receivers during his college career, namely due to ball skills that will translate over to the NFL. At nearly 200 pounds and 6-1, Burke is a bigger corner than most who can swallow up receivers that can't beat him with route-running excellence.
While opinions may be split on his tackling ability due to some missed open-field plays, Burke's willingness to hit hard and play the run indicate a very strong foundation in that area. With his size, Burke can be trusted to both generate turnovers and play the run, which will get any DC regardless of scheme interested.
Negatives
- Long speed is average, many of his worst games came against teams who took advantage of his unremarkable athletic ability.
- Lower body footwork can be a bit of a mess at times; lack of quick hips and choppy footwork will need to be improved on by professional coaches.
- Much better in zone coverage than man coverage last season despite having more man experience, which could limit scheme versatility.
- Can be a bit of a gambler who is prone to giving up big plays, teams like Oregon were able to exploit this.
Despite a very decorated college career, raw might be a good word to describe Burke. Without great long speed that can help him become a better playmaker down the field, teams haven't been afraid to challenge Burke during his college career.
Burke's footwork can be all over the place, as he can follow up a very impressive rep with one that makes you wonder why he is ranked as highly as he is. Whoever drafts him has to be exceedingly confident in their defensive backs coach working with him for a long time.
Denzel Burke NFL Player Comparison: Devon Witherspoon
Witherspoon is a hard-hitting corner who has already established himself as one of the best young DBs in the NFC. Ward has a similar build, and he is also willing to lay some wood in run defense.
Denzel Burke 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Early 3rd Round
Burke is sure to be a very polarizing prospect due to how up-and-down he has been throughout a very long college career, but he should be able to find a home on a team that values playmaking on the ball, run defense, and size on the outside.