The Green Bay Packers have had a very quiet offseason thus far and many are wondering whether or not they are truly going all-in with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. After a second consecutive trip to the NFC Championship Game and a second consecutive loss, the thought was that the Packers would be aggressive. Now, all eyes are turned ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft where the Packers need a cornerback and Greg Newsome II could be the target.
In the NFC Championship Game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Packers saw Kevin King get torched repeatedly. While they decided to re-sign him in free agency to a one-year contract, a young cornerback will be a must.
Newsome is certainly an intriguing option for the Packers. Some fans will not love this idea, as Newsome did not post huge numbers during his college career at Northwestern.
No matter what fans think on the outside look in, the Packers are “very interested” in selecting the 6-foot-1 cornerback. One NFL scout spoke to NFL Analysis Network about the team’s interest in Newsome.
“The Packers are going to look long and hard at cornerbacks in the first three rounds of the draft. One name I have heard come up quite often is Greg Newsome II and the Packers are very interested in him. He is expected to drop into the latter stages of the first round and Green Bay might just scoop him up.”
During the 2020 season with the Wildcats, Newsome ended up with 12 total tackles to go along with an interception and nine defended passes. Those numbers may not scream “superstar” right now, but he has big-time potential.
As we previously mentioned, Newsome has good size at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. He can be physical if needed and has great athleticism. His stock has been steadily rising with the NFL Draft drawing closer.
NFL.com has a very interesting player comparison for Greg Newsome II. They have him compared to Philadelphia Eagles star cornerback Darius Slay. That comparison should make Packers’ fans intrigued.
An NFC defensive coordinator also left a quote about Newsome and was impressed with the skill-set that he brings to the field.
“He’s impressed me from what I’ve seen on tape. He’s got great ball instincts to knock it away but I want to see him take it away more.”
It will be interesting to see what the Packers end up doing in the NFL Draft. They have a need at cornerback, but they also need some help at wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, and linebacker. Brian Gutekunst has his work cut out for him.
Expect to see the Packers take a cornerback in the first few rounds. Don’t be surprised if they end up taking a long look at Greg Newsome II with their first-round pick.
