The Cleveland Browns shocked a lot of teams when they made the move to select cornerback Greg Newsome II out of Northwestern with their first round selection, but the pick does make a lot of sense. The Browns needed another young cornerback to enhance their unit and Newsome could pan out to be a star defensive back for the squad.
Newsome began to see his stock rise closer to the NFL Draft due to his great Pro Day and the fact that his film showcased just how talented he is. He completely wipes receivers off the field when he matches up against them, and we saw evidence of that all throughout his final college football season. Newsome didn’t allow a single yard against great teams like Ohio State, Michigan State, or Iowa State, which is notable and a likely reason why the Browns drafted him.
During his three-year career with the Wildcats in college, Newsome ended up recording 71 total tackles to go along with an interception and 24 defended passes. He didn’t put up massive numbers, but he was productive and showed great coverage skills.
With the right development and coaching staff, the Browns could have gotten themselves a future star. They needed more playmaking and they needed better and more consistent coverage. Newsome is a perfect fit for the Cleveland defensive scheme as well.
It was evident early that Newsome wouldn’t make it past the New Orleans Saints at pick number 28, so if the Browns wanted him they were going to have to snag him where they did. Newsome is going to be a great cornerback for the Browns and could start right away in the secondary. He could start over Greedy Williams in the Browns’ secondary and lineup opposite of Denzel Ward creating a very good cornerback room for Cleveland.
Newsome is going to be a high impact player for the Browns and he could very well be in the mix for the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Browns fans should be very happy with this addition to their roster.
We are predicting that the rookie cornerback will end up recording 35 total tackles, two interceptions, and eight defended passes as a rookie. Those numbers will show that the Browns made the right decision by drafting Greg Newsome II. He is going to be a big part of the Cleveland defense moving forward.
