It took former Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward exactly one game to earn his first major NFL accolade.
After picking off two Ben Roethlisberger passes and registering three pass breakups in Cleveland's 21-21 tie (sigh) with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ward has been named the NFL Rookie of the Week.
The former Ohio State cornerback was selected fourth overall in last year's draft by the Browns, who desperately needed help in the secondary after finishing next to last in the league with just seven interceptions in 2017.
Ward's selection solidified a near complete overhaul in the back-end of Cleveland's defense, which seems to be paying immediate dividends. The Browns forced six turnovers in total against the Steelers.
Ward won the honor over New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who ran for 106 yards and one touchdown against Jacksonville, and New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, who threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit.
