49ers hosting Ohio State CB Denzel Ward, Georgia LB Lorenzo Carter for pre-draft visits

The San Francisco 49ers will be hosting cornerback Denzel Ward of Ohio State for a pre-draft visit on Thursday along with Georgia linebacker Lorenzo Carter, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Ward has appeared in 26 games over three seasons with the Buckeyes. During that time, he has 67 combined tackles, two for a loss, two interceptions, and 24 passes defensed, according to Sports Reference.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 5-foot-10 and 191-pound Ward had a 40-time of 4.32 seconds, a vertical jump of 39 inches, a broad jump of 136 inches, and had 16 reps in the bench press.

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Carter registered 166 combined tackles, 21.5 for a loss, 14 sacks, a pass defensed, four forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, and a touchdown on defense in four seasons with the Bulldogs. As a senior in 2017, he recorded a career-high 62 combined tackles, 8.5 for a loss, and 4.5 sacks.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-foot-6 and 250-pound Carter had a 40-time of 4.5 seconds, a vertical jump of 36 inches, and a broad jump of 130 inches. Other measurables for Carter include an arm length of 34 inches and hands that measure 10 3/8 inches.

NFL.com projects Ward to be a first-round pick and Carter to be selected in the second or third round of this month's draft.

Lance Zierlein of NFL Media, who compares Ward to Chris Harris Jr., had the following to say in his scouting report:

"Ward has the experience and talent to handle duties on the outside, but his lack of play strength combined with his elite footwork might be the deciding factor for a move inside. Ward is outstanding as a mirror-and-match cornerback with great route feel who is able to maintain tight coverage around the field with good technique and pattern recognition. He should become an early starter at nickel cornerback with the talent to make an immediate impact for a defense that faces a pass-happy division foe twice per year."

Zierlein, who compares Carter to Na'il Diggs, had the following to say in his scouting report:

"Carter was a five-star prospect and one of the most heralded players in the nation when he was recruited by Georgia but he never made the impact expected of him as a Bulldog. However, Carter played with increased toughness and confidence this year and his NFL potential began to reassert itself once again. Carter is an outside linebacker in a 3-4 or 4-3 with sideline-to-sideline range and the tools to become a productive edge rusher in sub-packages. He needs to add more bulk, but he is a future NFL starter."

Ward's Measurables

Height: 5-10
Weight: 191 lbs.

Ward's NFL Scouting Combine

40-time: 4.32 seconds
Vertical: 39 inches
Broad jump: 136 inches
Bench press: 16 reps

Ward's College Statistics

Carter's Measurables

Height: 6-6
Weight: 250 lbs.
Arm length: 34 inches
Hand length: 10 3/8 inches

Carter's NFL Scouting Combine

40-time: 4.5 seconds
Vertical: 36 inches
Broad jump: 130 inches

Carter's College Statistics