From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Ohio State CB Denzel Burke.
#10 Denzel Burke/CB Ohio State – 6’1, 193 pounds. (Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Denzel Burke | 6’1/193 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Pro Day Measurements/Numbers
The Good
– Height you look for in a corner
– Comfortable and solid when rolled up and getting hands on receiver off the line and playing man-to-man
– Fluid turn from press/tight alignment, can turn and run and shows good speed
– Can change directions and stick with in-breaking routes at consistent level
– Stays low in pedal in off coverage
– Works hard to recover and transition off the line
– Experience playing both corner spots, field corner asked and trusted to play in space
– Able to jam and ride receivers off the LOS
– Willing to come up and tackle in run game/open field
– Excellent starting experience against quality competition
– Durable and didn’t miss time
The Bad
– Inconsistent technique produces volatile play
– Struggles in off coverage more than tight-man
– Late to open hips gets him beat over the top
– Prone to guessing and opening hips wrong way, getting self turned around and allowing lots of space
– Lacks play strength in run game and as a tackler, pushed around, has trouble shedding blocks, and falls off in gang tackle situations
– Drag down tackler who has trouble getting bigger players to the ground, often allowing them to step out of tackle attempts
– Won’t make a big impact against the run
– Regressed in 2024 and gave up big plays against top opponents (Oregon game)
– Tends to keep eyes in backfield when beat instead of focusing on target and working to get back in-phase downfield
Bio
– Turned 22 in November of 2024
– 35 career starts for Buckeyes
– Career: 143 tackles (9 TFL) 28 PDs, 4 INTs, 1 FF, 1 pick-six
– 2024: 48 tackles (3 TFL) 2 PDs, 2 INTs
– 12 PDs as freshman in 2021
– Four-star recruit from Scottsdale, Arizona, chose Ohio State over Arizona, Auburn, LSU, USC and slew of other schools
– Played DB, RB, and WR in high school, had 719 receiving yards junior year
– Limited to just one game senior year of HS due to shoulder injury that required surgery (told reporters his shoulder popped out and then it “went in”)
– Team captain senior year of HS, played for former NFL QB Jon Kitna for one year
– Opted against declaring in 2023 and returned for final season at Ohio State
– First Buckeyes’ defensive freshman to start season opener since 1996, started on HS varsity team as freshman
Tape Breakdown
Denzel Burke made the journey from Texas to Ohio to become a Buckeye. Seemingly always making an immediate impact wherever he goes, be it playing as a freshman on his varsity high school team or starting as a freshman for the Buckeyes, Burke’s career got off to a hot start.
Burke shines the brightest when he can roll up on receivers and play man coverage. Not always in true press-man but he likes to get hands on receivers off the line, punching and helping to open his hips the correct way. That’s when he can turn and run, and he’s fluid to change directions on in-breaking routes. There’s a lot of positive clips here.
Ohio State trusted him as their exclusive field-side corner, only playing the boundary against single-receiver sets where the receiver was aligned that side. He’s comfortable playing in lots of space. Burke is durable and productive overall and played for a strong program against excellent competition.
But his play in 2024 regressed and his tape is inconsistent. Burke struggles when asked to play off. He begins to panic and guess and his technique really wanes. He had a terrible time against Oregon in their first meeting, beat twice for long gains/touchdowns in a game the Buckeyes narrowly lost.
He can guess and open his hips the wrong way, causing him to get turned around and allow a lot of separation. As a tackler, he struggles to get guys on the ground and can fall off. He’s thinner and lacks great play strength in this area.
Conclusion
Overall, Burke can be a quality man-cover corner at his best when he can roll up and gets hands on receivers. Ask him to play off and zone and he’s going to struggle and allow big plays. If he can improve his off-coverage he could be an excellent cover corner, but there’s work to do here. Burke also doesn’t offer a ton against the run and his tackling, while he shows effort, doesn’t get the job done often enough.
My NFL comp is a familiar name in Ahkello Witherspoon, a talented but inconsistent player throughout his career. Burke’s scheme fit will be critical in dictating what kind of NFL career he has.
Projection: Mid-Late Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 7.7 – Third Round (Potential Starter/Good Backup)
Games Watched: at Notre Dame (2023), at Michigan (2023), vs Penn State (2024), at Oregon (2024 – first meeting)
