As a rookie, Denzel Ward has yet to play a snap in the NFL regular season, but one NFL.com analyst is confident the former Buckeye has a bright future ahead of him in the pros.

Sports Betting in Big Ten Country

With the launch coming on January 1, 2023, Ohio sports betting apps are almost here.

FanDuel is now giving users a $100 bonus for Ohio pre-registration. Go pre-register now.

21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

NFL.com senior media analyst Gil Brandt recently named his “Six NFL players who WILL NOT be one-year wonders” and Ward makes the list.

“As a rookie, the one year that would qualify Ward for this list happened, of course, in his final season at Ohio State, when he piled up 15 pass break-ups and snagged a pair of picks,” Brandt writes. “Selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Browns, Ward is going to have a really good year, because he has the talent and ability to take advantage of the position he’ll be put in with the Browns. Cleveland has two good pass rushers in Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah, and with those guys rushing the passer, the opposing quarterbacks are going to be rushed into making throws. Thus, I think Ward has a shot to pick off six or seven passes this season, carrying his impressive showing from last year into his NFL career.”

If Brandt is right, Ward has a strong chance of leading all rookies in interceptions. Last year, Marshon Lattimore led all rookies with five interceptions. Among veterans, the highest interception total for 2017 was eight (Kevin Byard, Tennessee Titans).