Browns' Denzel Ward receives strong praise from NFL amid top-10 ESPN CB rankings

Browns' Denzel Ward receives strong praise from NFL amid top-10 ESPN CB rankings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>The Cleveland Browns might not have a realistic chance at a playoff run this season, but that doesn't mean they don't have some high-quality individuals littered throughout the roster.

>One of the more notable players still on the roster following the stunning Myles Garrett trade is cornerback Denzel Ward. He's still a Brown, at least for now, but as a 29-year-old veteran who's not played a full season, his trade value might not be high.

>That is, if it weren't for the strong praise he received from around the NFL. Ward placed inside the top-10 of Jeremy Fowler of ESPN's cornerback rankings based on a poll of executives, scouts, and coaches around the NFL.

Denzel Ward is a top-10 CB in NFL despite his advanced age"7. Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns. Highest ranking: 2. | Lowest ranking: Unranked," Fowler writes. "Ward falls to No. 7 but easily could have been No. 4."

>The polled NFL scouts, executives, and coaches ranked Ward as the seventh-best cornerback in the NFL right now.

>All of his contemporaries inside the top-10 of this ESPN poll are all 26 years old or younger. Ward, at 29 years old, is easily the oldest CB on this list.

>If there was any doubt about Ward's talent, this top-10 ranking should prove how elite he actually is. He only had one interception in 15 games, the first time he's had fewer than two picks in a season. But, he's still one of the best in the NFL.

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>Ward is an elite cornerback and ranked inside the top-10 on this poll from ESPN. But, he might've been able to climb even higher than No. 7 if not for one reason: he plays on the Browns.

>As one NFL personnel evaluator said, "If Ward played in Kansas City or New England, he'd be the talk of the NFL. He doesn't get the credit he should."

>The five-time Pro Bowler for the Browns is underrated and one of the better corners in the league. Ward is ranked as the seventh-best CB in the NFL, and he could be even higher ranked if his team were making playoff runs every year.

>Not that a trade is likely, but if he were dealt, the Browns would surely be able to land a massive return based on this ESPN poll having him as a top-10 CB in the NFL.

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