CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pro Football Focus has released its list of the NFL’s top 32 cornerbacks ahead of the 2023 season, with Browns cornerback Denzel Ward ranked 14th.
Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson wrote this about Ward:
“Ward is coming off a subpar season for the Browns, but the defense as a whole collapsed. Ward still had multiple elite games in 2022 and had shown a very high baseline of play before that year. With a rebuilt Browns defensive line in 2023, Ward might put himself back among the very best.”
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Ward totaled three interceptions for the third time in his career. Two came in the last four games of the season.
He allowed 42 receptions (12.6 per reception), which is lower compared to three of his four previous seasons, while breaking up seven passes. But it still resulted in a 60.9% completion percentage, on targets covering 530 yards and a 76.4 passer rating.
Ward was nowhere near the top of the food chain via his grades from PFF.
Among cornerbacks, Ward was 97th in overall defensive grading (56.8), 120th in tackling (36.7) and tied for 80th in coverage (60.4).
But Monson does cite the fact the entire Browns defense collapsed and performed below expectations. The Browns defense graded in the bottom 10 of the league in multiple categories, including 26th in overall defense (61.2), 29th in run defense (39.6) and 30th in tackling (40.6). Their highest mark was in the pass rush (75.4).
There were strong criticisms regarding the defensive schemes set by Joe Woods, the Browns defensive coordinator who was fired after the 2022 season. Multiple players hinted at their disagreement over Woods’ philosophy in their postgame press conferences, wanting to switch into more man-to-man coverage.
The arrival of new coordinator Jim Schwartz, whose 4-3 base defense gives the secondary freedom to play physical in man coverage, could benefit Ward’s performance in 2023.
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