EVANSTON, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 26: Greg Newsome II #2 of the Northwestern Wildcats reacts after a play in the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Ryan Field on October 26, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns opted to shore up their secondary by drafting Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome with the 26th-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Cleveland Browns are coming off a stellar 2020 campaign where they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Round before taking the Kansas City Chiefs to the limit in the Divisional Round. With Cleveland looking to take the leap in the AFC power rankings, general manager Andrew Berry opted to shore up the team’s secondary.
With the 26th pick in the NFL Draft, the Browns selected Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome II.
Browns: Cleveland building lockdown secondary by selecting Greg Newsome II in NFL Draft
In Newsome, the Browns are getting a true lockdown cornerback, and the statistics prove it. According to Pro Football Focus, Newsome allowed a 0.00 quarterback rating on third- and fourth-downs last season, the only corner to do so in the entire 2021 draft class. Additionally, Newsome has only allowed one touchdown on 471 coverage snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Yeah, we believe Browns fans are going to love this pick.
In his three seasons with Northwestern, Newsome tallied 71 total tackles, 20 defended passes, one interception and one fumble recovery.
The Browns already addressed their secondary this offseason by signing Los Angeles Rams safety John Johnson III and teammate Troy Hill in free agency. Additionally, the Browns also have cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams on the depth chart. But the Browns decided that was not enough, as they add Newsome to the depth chart.
To win the AFC, you need to stop the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes first. The Browns are well aware of that and decided to bolster their pass defense with their 2021 first-round selection.