BEREA, Ohio — Browns GM John Dorsey has said he had pass-rusher Bradley Chubb and cornerback Denzel Ward ranked equally heading into the 2018 draft, and let then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams help break the tie at the No. 4 overall draft selection.

Williams, who needed a press cover corner to run his scheme, opted for Ward, and the Broncos snatched Chubb a spot later at No. 5, which shocked even Broncos six-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller.

“I was super-surprised,’’ Miller said on a conference call on Tuesday. “I thought for sure that the Browns were going to get him. I thought that Myles Garrett and Bradley Chubb were going to be a dynamic duo for years to come. But they took Ward and I went crazy when we picked Chubb.”

As the Browns (5-7-1) head to Denver (6-7) for a Saturday night primetime matchup between two teams with slim playoff hopes, did the Browns make the right decision?

Williams indicated he’d make the same pick again, even though Chubb is tied for sixth in the NFL with 12 sacks and is on pace to break Jevon Kearse’s rookie record of 14.5, set in 1999 when Williams was his defensive coordinator.

“It was (difficult),’’ Williams said of the choice between Chubb and Ward. “I would’ve loved to have been able to have him and Ward. One of the things that I joked with you guys about was I didn’t think that Chubb could play press coverage as well as Ward. That’s what we needed at the time, and we still do.”

The two players probably won’t be compared side-to-side in Denver, because Ward (concussion) was idle on Tuesday and might sit out his second straight game.

Chubb, from N.C. State, will try hard not only to help his team keep its playoff hopes alive, but to break the rookie sack record that Myles Garrett wanted last year but couldn’t because he missed the first four games with a high ankle sprain.

“I think it’s important to (Chubb), because you only get one shot at it,’’ said Miller, who’s second in the NFL with 13.5 sacks. “You’re only a rookie for one year. You only get one shot at this and you want to take advantage of it while you have it.”

Chubb is not only on pace for an NFL rookie-record 15.0 sacks, he’s already topped Miller’s rookie mark of 11.5 in 2011, which tied the team record. He’s also a candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, as is Ward.

Bradley Chubb has 12 sacks. 3 games left to get 2.5 more and break Jevon Kearse's rookie record. And NOBODY is talking about it. It's insane lol. He's barely even mentioned in DROY conversations — Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) December 10, 2018

"It's an incredible feat, especially here where -- the Denver Broncos, we have a history of pass rushers," Miller told Mike Klis of 9News. "Especially young pass rushers that come in and play well. For Chubb to not only break the Broncos’ rookie sack record but have an opportunity to break the league record is incredible.’’

Miller also told ESPN.com, “People ask if I think he’s the Defensive Rookie of the Year, of course I think he’s the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Sacks are hard to get and he gets them.”

What makes Chubb’s dozen all the more remarkable is the fact he had only 1.5 through the first five games. He’s had 10.5 in the last eight, while Miller has had 9.5 in that span.

“He’s having a great season,’’ Broncos coach Vance Joseph said on a conference call. “He’s been a really good player for us, starting with his ability to drop (in coverage). ... He was a full-time rush defensive end in college. Once we drafted him, he became a Sam (strongside) backer, which is a dropper for the most part. He’s done a great job with that.

“He has a high football IQ. He can win one-on-ones. First, second and third down, of course a pass rusher. He has the size to dominate his side of the line of scrimmage, as far as in the run game. He has the movement and the explosion to be a great pass rusher. I have been really impressed with him as a person and as a player.”

So good that Miller ranks Chubb ahead of where he was as a rookie.

“He’s an incredible player,’’ said Miller. “He knows the game. He’s a rookie, but he doesn’t look or act like a rookie. He’s super advanced. You cannot block him one on one. He gets sacks like tackles. He’s super talented.”

Bradley Chubb is at 12 sacks now. The list of players to get to that number as a rookie is pretty ridiculous: pic.twitter.com/fWJh50NxfT — Adam Stites (@AdamStites_) December 9, 2018

Still, Ward has been excellent for the Browns and that hasn’t been lost on Joseph, who did plenty of pre-draft due diligence on him.

“Those guys in the top five, they’re all going to be special players,’’ said Joseph. “As I watch Denzel, he’s a guy who can take his guy out of the game. That’s worth a top-five pick in this climate of offensive football. You have to have corners to play some of these offenses, because if you do not, you cannot close the middle, you cannot play man free.

“The RPOs, the jet sweeps and all of the sweep actions, you have to be able to lock your guy up and not worry about him covering his guy. I think that was a great pick. When you watch him, he’s a very mature guy. He makes plays on the ball. He doesn’t get beat deep. That’s the key with young corners. He’s aggressive, but he can play overtop of guys. He’s also a physical, aggressive tackler.

“In my opinion, that’s a home run pick for those guys to have him. If you have one or two of those guys, you can play great defense. That’s where it starts, with rushers – which they do have two great rushers in (Emmanuel) Ogbah and Myles (Garrett), and they have a great young player. Those are the traits of having a great defense, it’s corners and rushers.”

With Ward and other changes in the defensive backfield, including the additions of free safety Damarious Randall and cornerbacks Terrance Mitchell and T.J Carrie, the Browns have gone from last in the NFL in opponent QB rating in 2017 at 102.2 to No. 3 this year at 84.0.

Ward, ranked the No. 13 cornerback in the NFL by profootballfocus.com, also has three interceptions, but only one in his last 11 games. Two came in the opener against Ben Roethlisberger. What’s more, he’s helped Myles Garrett, tied for third in the NFL with 12.5 sacks, which is one of the main reasons Williams wanted Ward.

“I’ve got a video of 28 snaps of Myles Garrett pass-rushes last year where he gets within two steps or less of the quarterback when the ball comes out,’’ Williams told NBC Sports’ Peter King on draft weekend. “Basically, we aren’t covering long enough to let him get to the quarterback. Myles and others -- especially Emmanuel Ogbah -- will get more chances because of Denzel."

Williams also told King that "Ogbah's a rising star in this league. He's got a chance to be Chubb."

Unfortunately for the Browns, it hasn’t worked out that way. Ogbah, coming off a broken foot from last year and a sprained ankle this year, has only three sacks. That means Garrett and Ogbah have combined for 15.5 sacks this season, while Miller and Chubb have 25.5.

Garrett, who didn’t want the Browns to draft Chubb because he believed he and Ogbah would dominate this year, has drawn extra double teams without another leading sacker to take the heat off. It’s debatable, then, whether Ward or Chubb would’ve helped Garrett more.

Even Garrett acknowledged that the one-two punch of Chubb and Miller has helped both.

“They go back and forth and you can’t account for one when both are eating at you,’’ he said.

For now, it looks like a win for both teams — Ward for the Browns and Chubb for the Broncos.

But it’s a pick worth keeping an eye on over the years.