2018 Raiders NFL Draft: 5 Potential first round picks

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COLUMBUS, OH – OCTOBER 7: Denzel Ward #12 of the Ohio State Buckeyes hits Taivon Jacobs #12 of the Maryland Terrapins after a reception in the first quarter at Ohio Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. Ward was ejected from the game after being assessed a targeting penalty for the hit. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

I’ll be up front, I’m a huge Ohio State fan. However, I don’t think it’s over the top to say Denzel Ward is the best cover cornerback in this draft.

When you play for Greg Schiano as a cornerback you know one thing, you’re in press man the entire game. Just like Eli Apple, Marshon Lattimore and Gaeron Conley before him, Ward is the next great cover corner the Buckeyes have produced.

Ward’s ability to mirror receivers in man coverage is really unlike anything I’ve seen at Ohio State. He has elite speed (4.32 in the 40-yard dash), and quickness, which gives him the ability to be patient on routes and never open up early. Perhaps his best skill is the ability to play through a receivers hands once the ball comes. This is probably the hardest thing to do as a corner, especially with your back turned to the quarterback.

He also played in the slot while alongside Lattimore and Conley in 2016, so he brings that versatility as well.

The most prominent knock on Ward is his size, as he is only 5-foot-10, but he plays much larger than his measurables would indicate.

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