Defense wins championships. That mantra always has and always will stay true. If this past NFL season showed us one thing, it was the importance of solid depth at cornerback (looking at you, Packers). With the NFL Draft quickly approaching, every team will be looking to solidify their secondary to try to combat the new generation of high octane offenses. One of the more intriguing prospects hails from Northwestern: Greg Newsome II. He may not be an “elite” talent according to experts, but make no mistake, he can be a guy fans look back on as a major steal in the draft.
Here’s a deeper look into Newsome II and his stats, highlights, and current projections.
Greg Newsome II NFL Draft Profile, Stats, Highlights and Projection
Greg Newsome II
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 190 lbs
Age: 20
College: Northwestern Wildcats
Greg Newsome II Highlights
Greg Newsome II 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 II Draft Profile
Strengths
Newsome is a rare breed. Not only can he be trusted in zone coverage, but he’s also equally able to play man, playing both at a high level. He is a ball hawk who will really make you pay if you throw his way. His ability to locate and make a move on the football may be the best among his peers. Newsome comes from a Northwestern team that is notorious for their pestering defense and physical play. He hits hard and is a good tackler. Newsome also has good speed and agility, and at 6-1, has a nice long frame that grants him the ability to make an impact on nearly everything thrown his way, hence the completion percentage of only 35.3% when thrown his way, according to PFF.
Weaknesses
The biggest knock on Newsome is that not only does he play in a run-heavy Big Ten conference, where teams rarely have any quarterbacks to phone home about, he also only played 21 games and 18 starts at Northwestern. We didn’t get to see him play against the one good quarterback Northwestern faced all year in Justin Fields, as Newsome was injured early in the game. As with many young corners, he also has trouble with penalties. In his last 14 games alone, he has racked up seven pass interference penalties. Newsome also has a tough time of getting off of blocks, which drastically hurts his ability to make an impact in stopping the run.
Greg Newsome Draft Projection
All 2021 NFL Draft Projections are taken from the latest CBS NFL Mock Draft by Ryan Wilson.
Greg Newsome is currently projected to be drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the 21st overall pick.
For more 2021 NFL Draft coverage and player profiles, check out the our NFL Draft page.
