Cleveland Browns: Why Denzel Ward was the best choice at No. 4

Taking a look at the fourth overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, and why Cleveland Browns fans should be ecstatic about Denzel Ward.

Cleveland Browns fans took a collective gasp when general manager John Dorsey made the decision to take a small cornerback out of Ohio State over Bradley Chubb, the highly touted edge rusher from NC State with the fourth pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Admittedly, I was quite surprised myself. I however, was expecting a lucrative trade down since my own hopes of a Saquon Barkley addition went to New York along with him at pick two. In the absence of such a trade, I too was sold on a pairing of Chubb and last year’s top pick, Myles Garrett. Now that the dust has settled and I have had opportunity to let it soak in, I really like the selection of Denzel Ward.

Many times following the draft, we second-guess our team’s decision makers and wonder if the guy they took was the guy they really wanted, or if they just claim so to save face. That is not the case here. Make no mistake, Ward was their choice from the start and they got their man.

I will concede that Ward likely would have been available a few selections later, so there is the question of value. If a trade to move down a spot or two presented itself, I reckon it would have been a simple choice. Unless, of course, they were that high on Ward. If that is the case, other teams may have been also. The draft is no place to wring the value out of your towel.

Another initial concern I had was that they picked a cornerback simply to fill a need. If you pass on top talent to fill a hole, you end up with more holes than you started with. I do not see that as the case here. They have an abundance of picks yet to come and those second and third round selections are where you fill your holes. Ward was their preference all along.

Some fans argue that it was a last second change of mind, but I encourage you to ask yourself this. What value would you place on a young, more athletic, and speedier Joe Haden?

Joe Haden ran a 4.57 and 4.63-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, then followed up with a much more realistic 4.39 seconds at his pro day. Wikipedia lists Haden’s combine 40 at 4.52, so I apologize for any errors and the discrepancy, but even at his fastest, Ward would blaze by Haden with a time of 4.32 seconds. Ward was labeled as the fastest player at Ohio State in 2017.

Haden chalked up a 125-inch broad jump. Ward leaped 11 inches farther, at 136 inches. In the vertical jump, Haden reached 35 inches — Ward topped him with a 39-inch mark.

Next: NFL Draft 2018: Grades for each first-round pick

Consider also that most mock drafts and media gurus, follow each other’s lead, circling like newly befriended dogs in a butt-sniffing parade, it is no surprise that nearly all of them listed Bradley Chubb as the fourth pick. Chubb wouldn’t have been a bad selection there by any means, but I see the reasoning behind the Ward selection and have come to realize that it may indeed be the best case scenario for the Cleveland Browns.

To top it off, Denzel Ward is a local guy, who is ecstatic to play for the Cleveland Browns. Browns fans should be ecstatic to have him.