Smartest Selections from Each Round of the 2021 NFL Draft
By Liam Gorman
Round 1, Pick 26 – Greg Newsome II, CB, Cleveland Browns
The Browns added to their secondary by selecting a blue-chip cornerback late in the first round with shutdown potential.
With Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II both selected in the top-10, and the question marks surrounding Caleb Farley’s lingering back issues, it seemed almost impossible to believe that Greg Newsome II, the next drafted cornerback and The Draft Network’s fourth ranked cornerback could fall to Cleveland at 26. Alas, the Browns let the board come to them and they did not flinch in taking one of the best players left available at a premium position.
Newsome had an excellent final year in 2020 at Northwestern, showing excellent all-around coverage ability. This past season he only allowed 93 yards and 5 first downs through four games, just over 23 yards per game.
The film backs these numbers up. Newsome has an ideal combination of technique, athleticism, and ball skills. It is rare the combination of these three skills shows up in a corner prospect, but Newsome is well above average in all three. He has excellent ability to backpedal and change direction at the route stems. He can play in press coverage, has good short area burst, and made 8 plays on the ball in four games last year. Newsome’s game against Wisconsin last year really made him stand out.
Cornerback was not a huge need for Cleveland. They already have standout corner, Denzel Ward, and they signed Troy Hill from the Rams. Additionally, they and have 2019 second round pick Greedy Williams on the roster. But frankly, the Browns do not have many needs in general. The organization is in a position to take a swing on a player of Newsome’s caliber, especially in a position of that value. There is an adage that you can never have too many pass catchers. In today’s NFL, that adage applies to pass defenders as well.