When the Browns selected former Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward with the fourth pick in the 2018 NFL draft, they made him one of the key building blocks on their defense along with former No. 1 overall selection Myles Garrett.
Conveniently, the two play well off each other. Having a lock-down corner who can play on an island increases the chances of taking away the quarterback’s No. 1 target, forcing him to go through his progressions, forcing him to spend more time in the pocket and giving Garrett time to get there.
And this is exactly what happened during the 2018 season, as Ward immediately emerged as one one of the top cornerbacks in the league.
During his rookie year, Ward allowed just 4.72 yards per target in man coverage, the second best rate in the league, according to Sports Info Solutions:
Ward wins in man coverage primarily due to his incredibly fluid footwork. He has the agility to move seamlessly with receivers through their routes, but also the speed to catch up when he does take a false step.
Last October, The Athletic’s Samuel Gold shared this clip of Ward matching up with the Chargers’ Tyrell Williams, one of the league’s fastest deep threats, in man coverage:
Here’s another play featuring #Browns Denzel Ward. This time vs Tyrell Williams.
PERFECT coverage on his crossing route. Ward recovers well to undercut him in man coverage to break up the pass. Note: Penalty was on Peppers for defensive holding.pic.twitter.com/GnsBqjScX2
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) October 17, 2018
The fact the Browns even allowed Denzel Ward on an island with Williams speaks volumes of their trust in his ability. That’s an assignment few cornerbacks can handle on their own, let alone during their rookie year.
Clearly the Browns landed a special talent in Ward, but the shift from Gregg Williams to Steve Wilks at defensive coordinator may not be an ideal change for Ward’s skill set.
As the Cardinals head coach in 2018, Wilks used man coverage on just 27.9 percent of opponents’ dropbacks, the third lowest rate in the league, according to Sports Info Solutions.
During Denzel Ward’s rookie year in Cleveland, the Browns used man coverage versus 38.6 percent of opponents’ dropbacks, which ranked 16th in the league. It wasn’t an ideal usage of Ward’s strengths, but a significant step up from Wilks’ philosophy.
Ward’s agility and speed allows him to mirror routes, but that skill set plays a much smaller role in zone coverage. The athleticism demands of a cornerback in zone coverage are slightly diminished, which makes it an ideal scheme with certain personnel. With Ward in the secondary, however, shifting to a more zone-heavy scheme would be a misuse of one of the Browns biggest defensive assets.
Additionally, zone coverage has been an area in which Ward has struggled throughout his career with both the Browns and Ohio State:
The Buckeyes strongly favored man coverage under defensive coordinator Greg Schiano during Ward’s career, so part of his struggles are likely due to a lack of experience. But as previously mentioned, his rare physical traits also lend themselves more to man coverage.
Another reason for the Browns to shy away from zone coverage could be the impact it has on the team’s pass rush. With a shutdown corner like Ward on the field, especially with him often covering the opposing team’s No. 1 target, it increases the chances for a “coverage sack.”
Given Ward’s success in man coverage and his relative struggles in zone, it should come as no surprise the Browns pass rush was substantially more effective when the secondary was in man. According to Sports Info Solutions, the Browns ranked 17th in the league in pressure rate when in man coverage compared to 28th in zone.
So will Wilks stick with what he knows or will he adjust to the strength of his team and use more man coverage?
Obviously coaches can evolve, but Wilks has limited experience coaching outside his current scheme. Since entering the NFL coaching ranks in 2006, Wilks has worked almost exclusively under Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, in Chicago, San Diego and Carolina. Rivera also tends to avoid man coverage—Carolina had the fifth lowest man coverage rate in 2018. So even if Wilks wants to evolve and use more man coverage this year, does he have enough experience from which to draw?
There’s a good reason coaches typically stick with what they know best. They have a set of plays they have confidence calling in various situations, and Wilks obviously has that comfort level with his current scheme. Dramatically increasing his use of man coverage would force him outside his comfort zone, and likely lead to some poor decisions in the early stages of adjusting his scheme.
Either way, the Browns defense is likely to go through some growing pains as the team adjusts to Wilks’ scheme or as Wilks adjusts his scheme to the Browns’ personnel.
