Ohio State Buckeyes National Championship-winning cornerback Denzel Burke is a versatile prospect to know for Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Our Denzel Burke scouting report dives into everything you need to know about one of the nation’s top defensive backs.
Denzel Burke Scouting Report
Size: 6’1″, 194 pounds
Key Stat: 37 solo tackles in the 2024-25 season
Projected Role: Slot Cornerback and Special Teams Contributor
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Strengths
- Good tackler in space and offers support in the run game.
- Doesn’t panic on routes and trusts instincts in pass coverage (gets his head around).
- Can deliver big hits on ball carriers and plays with physicality.
- Uses quickness to close underneath on receivers.
- Fights through picks on shallow crosses and mesh routes.
- Can bully smaller receivers with strength and size.
- Good speed to catch up to receivers on vertical routes.
Areas to Improve
- Can get out of control in closing underneath on routes.
- Has not shown the ability to play elite man defense. Primarily a zone corner.
- Can get beat over the top at times.
- Struggled against Oregon’s elite speed in their first matchup.
- Can be over-aggressive in interception attempts.
- Can stay in backpedal for too long.
Ceiling: Excellent slot cornerback in zone-heavy scheme
Floor: Productive special teams player
Denzel Burke NFL Draft Outlook
If Denzel Burke had declared for the 2024 NFL Draft last season, he could have easily been a first-round pick. Instead, he opted to return to Ohio State for a chance to compete for a National Championship, and he achieved that goal.
Some NFL scouts may be concerned about Burke’s performance against Oregon on Oct. 12, 2024. Evan Stewert and Tez Johnson beat him down the field on numerous occasions.
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His performance definitely left something to be desired, but he made up for it, coming up huge for the Buckeyes down the stretch.
Burke primarily played zone in Jim Knowles’ scheme, operating in the slot. He’s demonstrated an elite ability to close underneath on receivers and is a willing tackler in the run.
Against today’s big slot receivers, he has the size and physicality to match up against tight ends flexed out or bigger receivers operating out of the slot.
Especially in the 2023-24 season, Burke showed that he doesn’t panic when the ball is thrown. While he plays with physicality, he gets his head around before the receiver makes a play on the ball.
Bottom Line: Burke’s physicality and ability to close on receivers underneath make him a valuable prospect for some NFL teams. His inconsistent tape has made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
He’s shown he can succeed in a nickel corner role with great players around him. With the right coaching staff, Burke can blossom into a valuable cornerback whose physicality and instincts take him to the next level. That’s a role that is growing in the NFL and one several teams are looking to fill in the middle rounds of the draft.
At worst, Burke can be an effective special teams player who can contribute in a rotational role as a defensive back. I can even see Burke transitioning to safety at the next level.
NFL Draft Projection: Mid-to-Late Day 2
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