CB Greg Newsome
My final ranking: 24th overall
Cornerback is one of the hardest positions for players to step into and compete from day one in the NFL. Their coverage assignments and technique must be spot on. However, Cleveland Browns cornerback, Greg Newsome, is off to an electric start to his professional career.
Newsome was dinged a big coming out of Northwestern for his inability to stay healthy (played just 17 games in three seasons). However, when he was on the field, there were very few defenders in college football who were better.
While Newsome had just one career pick in college, he was left on an island against top receivers and did not disappoint. So far for the Browns, he’s looking like a future Pro Bowl cornerback who could be one of their best players for a long time.
The Steelers chose to ignore the cornerback position in the draft, and they are currently paying for it. James Pierre and Ahkello Witherspoon have both been bad this year while Joe Haden can’t stay on the field. Greg Newsome would have been a better pick and 24 overall.