ESPN released its annual NFL player rankings this week, a collaborative ranking from 12 of the network’s top analysts and reporters identifying the 100 players expected to have the best season in 2026. Cleveland cornerback Denzel Ward did not make that list, an omission that stood out given the resume he has built over the past 8 seasons.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler relayed why some in league circles believe Ward’s situation in Cleveland worked against him during the voting process.
“Ward is, quite comfortably, a top-seven cornerback. This list pushes him out of the top 10. ‘I think durability and the fact he plays in Cleveland keeps him out of the top cornerback discussion, but he’s so good,’ an AFC executive said. ‘One of the smoothest athletes in all of football.’ Ward typically misses a few games per season because of injury, but his production is undeniable. He has 18 interceptions and 74 pass deflections over eight seasons,” Fowler wrote.
Since entering the league as Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2018, Ward has appeared in 110 career games, racking up 361 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 2 defensive touchdowns to go along with his 18 interceptions. His 74 career pass deflections rank among the best totals at the position league-wide over that stretch, a number that becomes even more impressive considering opposing quarterbacks have increasingly steered away from targeting him in recent seasons.
The durability question raised by the anonymous executive is fair, but it also somewhat undersells how much Ward continues to produce even in seasons shortened by injury. His 2025 campaign saw him appear in 15 games and still play at a high level. Ward’s standing as one of the highest-paid defensive backs in NFL history only adds to the argument that Cleveland made the right long-term bet on its top cornerback, and the front office clearly views him as a foundational piece of the secondary moving forward.
With a retooled defensive front now featuring Jared Verse, added via the Myles Garrett trade, and Mike Rutenberg calling the defense for the first time as coordinator, the Browns have a real reason to believe their unit can turn heads in 2026. A strong start from that group, with Ward anchoring the secondary, would go a long way toward proving this particular snub wrong before the season is very old.
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