Denzel Ward

Denzel Ward

29-Year-Old CornerbackCB
Cleveland Browns
Questionable
Injury Neck
Est. Return 7/1/2026
2025 Defense Stats
TCKL
39
SACKS
0.0
INT
1
FF
0
TD
0
2026 Projections
TCKL
SACKS
INT
FF
TD
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2026 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Denzel Ward in 2026. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
RANKS
#Subscriber-Only
IDP
Bye Week 11
Height 5'11"
Weight 190
DOB 4/28/1997
College Ohio State
Drafted 1st Rd 2018 #4 Overall
Signed a five-year, $100.5 million contract with the Browns in April of 2022.
Not doing team drills at minicamp
CBCleveland Browns
Neck
June 9, 2026
Ward (neck) did not participate in full team drills during the Browns' minicamp session Tuesday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
After missing voluntary OTAs, Ward is at least back in Cleveland's facility for mandatory minicamp. It's not clear at this point if his limitations are due to the neck injury he suffered during last year's season finale or if they're related to a contract dispute, but it's possible a new deal could be in Ward's near future regardless.
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2025 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Cleveland BrownsBrowns 2025 CB Snap Distribution
See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
D.Denzel Ward
T.Tyson Campbell
M.Myles Harden
G.Greg Newsome
S.Sam Webb
D.Dom Jones
T.Tre Avery
D.D'Angelo Ross
C.Cameron Mitchell
J.Jarrick Bernard-Converse
#% of Team Snaps
77874%
64061%
52650%
28427%
13713%
495%
414%
404%
363%
50%
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#1 LCB
Cleveland BrownsBrowns
  1. Denzel WardQues
  2. Anthony KendallQues
  3. Nate Evans
  4. Tyron Herring
2025 Denzel Ward Split Stats
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Measurables Review
How do Denzel Ward's measurables compare to other cornerbacks?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
5' 11"
 
Weight
190 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.32 sec
 
Vertical Jump
39.0 in
 
Broad Jump
136 in
 
Bench Press
16 reps
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Denzel Ward See More
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
While the defense took a huge step backward in 2024 and was prominent in the Browns' collapse, Ward's elite play at cornerback was unfazed. The seven-year veteran had another strong season, recording 49 tackles, a league-high 19 passes defensed, two interceptions and a respectable 53.5 reception percentage. The 28-year-old has multiple picks in all seven seasons of his NFL career. Injuries have been prominent since he was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, but Ward appeared in a career-high 16 games in 2024 and enters 2025 as the 10th-ranked cornerback per Pro Football Focus.
Ward bounced back from what advanced analytics indicate was his worst season in 2022. His coverage grade returned to normal in 2023, while his reception rate was a career-best 51.5 percent. Ward also had two interceptions, his sixth straight season with multiple picks. The 2018 first-rounder returns as the leader of what is considered the strongest level of the league's top-ranked passing defense (164.7 YPG) and one the best cornerback units in the league, along with Greg Newsome and Martin Emerson.
A deep statistical analysis of Ward's 2022 season indicates the worst coverage grade of his five years, but fantasy football doesn't operate like that. Value comes from making plays and Ward does that despite seeing fewer targets than others in the cornerback rotation. In 2022, he finished with 15 passes defensed, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries for touchdowns. For his career, Ward scored four touchdowns and was responsible for 18 turnovers. He's the pivotal player in a deep secondary and typically draws an opponent's best wideout.
Ward, who was taken fourth overall in the 2018 draft, had another fine campaign in 2021, logging multiple interceptions for a fourth straight season, recording double-digit passes defensed and scoring the second TD of his career with a 99-yard pick-six in a Week 9 win over the Bengals. The Browns then rewarded the 25-year-old for his efforts, giving Ward another five years and $100.5 million, with $71.25 million reportedly guaranteed, a record-setting deal for a cornerback. This coming season, the Ohio State product will once again cover opponents' top receivers.
Ward, a 2018 Pro Bowler as a rookie, returns as the Browns' top cornerback. He has yet to play a full NFL season and finished 2020 with 46 tackles, a career-high 18 passes defensed, two interceptions and a forced fumble over 12 games. If the old adage "a rising tide lifts all boats" is true, Ward could return to the Pro Bowl. Part of the organization's plan this offseason was to improve at every level of the defense, with notable additions on the back end, an approach that figures to improve the team context around Ward, whose fifth-year contract option for 2022 was picked up by the Browns.
Ward, the No. 4 overall pick in 2018, did not repeat his Pro-Bowl rookie season, but he was the Browns' top cover man in 2019, per Pro Football Focus. He struggled to get on the field due to a hamstring issue and later was limited by an ankle, finishing with 44 tackles, two interceptions and a touchdown. He's yet to play a full 16 games over his two NFL seasons, so at some point durability could be an issue that creeps into seasonal outlooks. If he's healthy, the Browns will ask Ward will go toe-to-toe with opponent's best wideouts.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft molded an impressive rookie campaign, and the sky is the limit for the young defensive back. Ward proved to be a ballhawk in college and during his first year with the Browns. He intercepted three passes, forced a fumble and added another 11 pass defenses. While his tackling did improve from early in his rookie season, boosting that area of his game will be key if he wants to take the next step.
The fourth overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, Ward immediately improves Cleveland's defense and projects to step right into one of the team's starting cornerback slots alongside E.J. Gaines. At 5-11, 190, Ward has the talent to handle receivers on the outside well due to his footwork and ability to match change of speeds. During his final year at Ohio State, he deflected 15 passes while adding two interceptions.
More Fantasy News
Production dips in 2025
CBCleveland Browns
Neck
February 5, 2026
Ward (neck) recorded 39 total tackles (29 solo) and nine passes defensed, including one interception, across 15 regular-season games in 2025.
ANALYSIS
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Won't return vs. Cincinnati
CBCleveland Browns
Neck
January 4, 2026
Ward (neck) has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Bengals.
ANALYSIS
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Questionable to return
CBCleveland Browns
Neck
January 4, 2026
Ward (neck) is questionable to return in Sunday's game against the Bengals, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
ANALYSIS
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Ready to play Sunday
CBCleveland Browns
December 26, 2025
Ward (calf) has no injury designation ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Steelers, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
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Won't play against Bills
CBCleveland Browns
Calf
December 19, 2025
Ward (calf) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Wants to stay in Cleveland
CBCleveland Browns
June 6, 2026
Ward told reporters Saturday that he wants to stay with the Browns even after the team traded Myles Garrett to the Rams on Monday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
ANALYSIS
"It's Ohio against the world. People can doubt us, but we are going out there still trying to play our best ball and bring wins to this city," Ward said during Saturday's press conference. In return for Garrett, the Browns received 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse along with a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 third-rounder. Ward has two years left in his five-year, $100.5 million contract that he signed with the Browns in April of 2022 and has been named to the Pro Bowl in four of the last five seasons. The veteran corner is committed to playing in Cleveland, but it wouldn't be surprising to see trade rumors pick up as the season progresses.
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