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Draftanomics

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Data + sources
RAS by Kent Lee Platte·Consensus Big Board (Arif Hasan)·nflverse·PFR·CFBD·All sources & credits·Methodology
Career-value model, live
Privacy·Terms·Press ⌘K to search·Draftanomics2026
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Side-by-side comparison

Backtest

2 prospects · 2018 draft

Each spoke: percentile within the prospect's own position (CB)
DW
Denzel Ward
CB · Ohio St.
21.0 yo · 5'10" · 183 lb
JA
Jaire Alexander
CB · Louisville
21.2 yo · 5'11" · 192 lb
Tiebreaker
High confidence
Take Denzel Ward over Jaire Alexander.

Decisive factor: a stronger historical comp arc.

Headline metrics

The four numbers a GM checks first.

Denzel Ward
Predicted pick
#23
range #1–#77
Bust probability· rough estimate
0%
0%comp-based · 0/5
Consensus rank
#8
on 27 boards
Career arc
Starter
tier · 1st Round
2nd-deal AAV
$28Mmodel
Jaire Alexander
Predicted pick
#27
range #1–#87
Bust probability· rough estimate
0%
0%comp-based · 0/5
Consensus rank
#14
on 27 boards
Career arc
Starter
tier · 1st Round
2nd-deal AAV
$30Mmodel

Feature radar

Each axis is the prospect's percentile among prospects at his position (0–100). Bigger shape = stronger across the board.

ProductionAthleticismAgeConsensusPer-play impact (PPA)Breakout ageWorkloadRAS × production
Prospects
  • Denzel Ward· CB / S
  • Jaire Alexander· CB / S
Axis leaders
  • ProductionDenzel Ward50
  • AthleticismDenzel Ward79
  • AgeDenzel Ward63
  • ConsensusDenzel Ward100
  • Per-play impact (PPA)Denzel Ward50
  • Breakout ageDenzel Ward50
  • WorkloadDenzel Ward100
  • RAS × productionDenzel Ward0

Comp overlap

Top five historical comps per prospect. Shared comps highlighted.

Shared comps
  • Jalen RamseyCB · Starter→ shared byDenzel WardJaire Alexander
  • Zack SanchezCB · Bust→ shared byDenzel WardJaire Alexander
  • Eli AppleCB · Starter→ shared byDenzel WardJaire Alexander
Denzel Ward
  • Jalen Ramseyshared
    CB · #5
    Starter
  • Kevon Seymour
    CB · #218
    Starter
  • Zack Sanchezshared
    CB · #141
    Bust
  • Eli Appleshared
    CB · #10
    Starter
  • Eric Murray
    CB · #106
    Contributor
Jaire Alexander
  • Jalen Ramseyshared
    CB · #5
    Starter
  • Eli Appleshared
    CB · #10
    Starter
  • Zack Sanchezshared
    CB · #141
    Bust
  • Maurice Canady
    CB · #209
    Bust
  • Kalan Reed
    CB · #253
    Backup

Risk and opportunity flags

Top three concerns and top two upside signals from the model.

Denzel Ward
Risks
No major risks flagged.
Opportunities
  • Strong comp group
    3 of 4 closest comps with NFL outcomes became Starters or Franchise players: Jalen Ramsey, Kevon Seymour, Eli Apple. The historical neighborhood overwhelmingly produced NFL contributors.
Jaire Alexander
Risks
  • Comp group bust rate
    3 of 5 closest comps with NFL outcomes washed out: Zack Sanchez, Maurice Canady, Kalan Reed. The neighborhood in feature space is dangerous.
Opportunities
No standout upside flags.

Career trajectory forecast

Projected share of his team's snaps across the first four NFL seasons. Solid = seasons already played, dashed = the forecast.

0%25%50%75%100%Y1Y2Y3Y4Y5Y6Y7Y8Snap share
Denzel WardJaire Alexander· solid = actuals, dashed = forecast

Verdict

The model's plain-English read.

Denzel Ward

Draftanomics projects Denzel Ward (age 21.0 at draft) as a first-round pick at #23 (range #1-#77, very wide band — too little on him yet to project tightly). Bust probability sits at 0% — low. The comp set is strong: 3 of 4 closest comps with known NFL outcomes became starters or better. Closest comps: Jalen Ramsey (Starter), Kevon Seymour (Starter), Zack Sanchez (Bust). Ceiling is Jalen Ramsey (Starter); floor is Eric Murray (Contributor). The call is a lean fade: the model sits 12 spots below the room's consensus #11 — don't pay sticker price. The 12-spot markdown rests on thin verified signal rather than a named flaw — the model hasn't seen enough yet to match the room's conviction.

Jaire Alexander

Draftanomics projects Jaire Alexander (age 21.2 at draft) as a first-round pick at #27 (range #1-#87, very wide band — too little on him yet to project tightly). Bust probability sits at 0% — low. The comp set is dangerous: 3 of 5 closest comps with known NFL outcomes washed out as backups or busts. Closest comps: Jalen Ramsey (Starter), Eli Apple (Starter), Zack Sanchez (Bust). Ceiling is Jalen Ramsey (Starter); floor is Kalan Reed (Backup). 3 of 5 closest comps with NFL outcomes washed out: Zack Sanchez, Maurice Canady, Kalan Reed. The neighborhood in feature space is dangerous. The call is a hold at slot: the model's #27 sits within 6 spots of the room's #21 — no market edge to chase, so take him where he sits, and let the 0% bust probability break ties on draft day.