Cleveland, OH (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Browns got an up-close look at Ohio State star cornerback Denzel Ward and nearly 40 other prospects during a local pro day at their training facility in Berea, Ohio Monday.
Ward, a Nordonia High School product, is one of the top cornerbacks available in this year’s draft class and he is projected to be a top-10 pick on April 26.
While some might point to the fact Ward isn’t the prototypical size for a corner – he measured in at 5-foot-10 and 7/8 at the NFL Combine in March – his speed, strength, athleticism and ability to change direction on a dime make him a premier player in the draft class.
All 32 NFL teams are permitted to hold a local pro day to give draft prospects that either grew up locally or attended college nearby an opportunity to showcase their talents in a much smaller setting than the NFL Combine or college campus pro days. It also gives NFL teams the opportunity to work out players from smaller schools like Kent State, Akron, John Carroll or Youngstown State.
Ohio State falls under the Browns’ territory which is why a dozen Buckeyes, including defensive lineman Tracy Sprinkle (Elyria high school), safety Erick Smith (Glenville high school) and linebacker Chris Worley (Glenville high school), attended the event Monday according to the team.
The local pro days do not count against the 30 individual private team facility visits allowed leading up to the NFL Draft each year.
The Browns hosted 3 of the top 4 quarterbacks in the draft this year – Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen – among their individual facility visits last week. The team will host Wyoming QB Josh Allen later this week.
Cleveland holds 9 picks in the upcoming draft, including 5 picks in the top 64.
