{"id":41751,"date":"2018-04-11T09:00:51","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T13:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=41751"},"modified":"2018-04-09T20:42:14","modified_gmt":"2018-04-10T00:42:14","slug":"denzel-ward-2018-nfl-draft-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/04\/11\/denzel-ward-2018-nfl-draft-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Denzel Ward 2018 NFL Draft Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong>
\nPosition<\/strong>: Cornerback
\nHeight<\/strong>: 5’10”
\nWeight<\/strong>: 191 pounds
\nSchool<\/strong>: Ohio State Buckeyes<\/p>\n

Combine Performance Data
\n40-yard dash<\/strong>: 4.32 seconds (tied for best at 2018 Combine)
\nBench press<\/strong>: 16 reps
\nVertical jump<\/strong>: 39 inches
\nBroad jump<\/strong>: 11 feet, 4 inches (best at 2018 Combine)<\/p>\n

Denzel Ward 2018 NFL Draft Profile<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Over the past four seasons, Ohio State is in some pretty elite company when it comes to producing NFL caliber talent. 30 former Buckeyes have been drafted in that time, second among college programs to only Alabama. Taking it a step further, no school has ever seen four of its cornerbacks go in the first round over a three-year span. But Denzel Ward<\/a><\/strong> has a chance to make that a reality with former Buckeye corners Eli Apple<\/a><\/strong> (New York Giants<\/a>), Marshon Lattimore<\/a><\/strong> (New Orleans Saints<\/a>) and Gareon Conley<\/a><\/strong> (Oakland Raiders<\/a>) getting picked 10th, 11th and 24th overall during the past two drafts.<\/p>\n

247Sports’ seventh-ranked prospect out of the state of Ohio in 2015, Ward committed to the Buckeyes in the summer before his senior year of high school. He then played a key role in Nordonia High making the Division II state title game with nine interceptions and 18 pass breakups that season. It led to him earning Cleveland.com’s high school defensive player of the year.<\/p>\n

Ward saw action in 11 games as a true freshman but didn’t figure prominently on the stat sheet, registering just seven tackles. That all changed a year later as he appeared in all 13 games and racked up nine pass breakups, tied for the team lead with Lattimore and one ahead of Conley. With those two having departed for the pros in 2017, Ward had an opportunity to come into his own.<\/p>\n

And that’s exactly what he did. Ward started the season off with a bang when he intercepted a pass and broke up five passes against Indiana. His 15 on the year ranked third in the Big Ten and top 10 nationally. He also added two interceptions en route to AP First-Team All-American accolades and First-Team all-conference recognition by the media.<\/p>\n

Strengths<\/h2>\n