With the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Browns draft Greg Newsome, cornerback out of Northwestern. While Newsome didn’t go up against the cream of the crop exactly when it came to quarterbacks, he made himself felt. He was one of the biggest playmakers in the secondary of one of the meanest defenses in the Big Ten on Northwestern.
Greg Newsome Highlights
Greg Newsome NFL Draft Profile and Stats
Greg Newsome II
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 190 lbs
Age: 20
College: Northwestern Wildcats
Greg Newsome 2020 Stats
Cover Snaps: 223
Rec/Tgt: 12/34
Completion Rate: 35.3%
Yards Allowed: 93
TD/INT: 0/1
Passer Rating: 31.7
Greg Newsome Draft Profile
Strengths
- Good with zone and man coverage
- Ball hawk
- Great at locating football
- Hard hitter and good tackler
- Good speed, size, and agility
- Only 35.3% of passes completed when thrown his way
Weaknesses
- Lack of competition in Big Ten passing
- Only 18 starts at Northwestern
- Penalty prone at times
- Can’t get off of run blocks
RELATED | Full Greg Newsome NFL Draft Profile, Highlights and Stats
What to Expect From Greg Newsome in 2021
The Browns’ firepower on offense goes without mentioning. With the recent addition of Jadeveon Clowney in free agency, cornerback became their top need in the draft. Denzel Ward is a solid corner for Cleveland but after him, the Browns have inconsistent play at best. Greg Newsome won’t be a corner who is thrown at the opposing team’s top receiver, but he will be an important piece to help try to lock down the other side of the field.
Newsome hasn’t played against good quarterback talent so you could argue this is the perfect scenario for him. With the Bengals not having an offensive line, the Ravens having a running QB, and Ben Roethlisberger being old as hell, he won’t see elite NFL talent in his division either. He will need some work if he wants to be able to hang with teams that have elite quarterback talent but the pass rush of the Cleveland defense should be able to limit how much he can be exposed too.
