CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – As expected, Andrew Berry went defense with his first round selection Thursday night.
The Browns selected Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome II with the 26th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
“We felt comfortable sweating it out, so to speak, as Greg fell to us,” Berry said.
Newsome was named third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-Big Ten after registering 12 tackles, one interception and a team-high 10 pass breakups last season.
“He was one of the guys that we targeted throughout draft process,” Berry said. “I think he fits our profile for the Cleveland Browns. Here’s a player who was a multiyear producer in a power-5 conference, great physical talent. He’s one of the youngest guys in the draft class despite what he accomplished at the college level and he fits the smart, tough, accountable profile that we want out of our players.”
With 50 friends and family joining him to him watch the draft at a fitness center outside Chicago, Newsome admitted he was getting anxious as he remained on the board in the first round.
“I was expecting to go a little bit higher, so I was sitting there a little nervous,” Newsome said. “I had my family there. I put God first, put my family second and everybody who was there, this is a reward for all the hard work that they have instilled in me and everything that I have done for them. It was a great night and I’m looking forward to getting to Cleveland.”
Newsome, who didn’t allow a third down completion in his direction last season, gave up just 12 completions for 93 yards - just 7.8 yards per completion - on 34 targets. The 31.6 percent completion rate was the best in college football according to Pro football Focus.
“We thought he was one of the more well-rounded corners in the class,” Berry said. “Obviously he has the size and the speed that every team wants at the position, but here’s a guy that played press effectively, they played a heavy dose of zone and off-man at Northwestern, which he was able to do effectively and make some plays on the ball. And even then, he’s tough in run support.
“What we liked is that from our perspective there wasn’t a major discernible hole within his skill set. He has a high level of competency across all areas that we value at that position.”
Newsome suffered a groin injury in the Big Ten Championship Game and elected to sit out their bowl game to focus on the NFL draft.
The 20-year old dealt with injuries in each of his three seasons with Northwestern that cost him time but Berry and the Browns were comfortable with the medical information to make the pick.
“I think a lot of it is unlucky. A bunch of horrible breaks honestly in my career,” Newsome said.
Newsome is the fourth cornerback selected by the Browns in round 1 since 1999 joining Denzel Ward (2018), Justin Gilbert (2014) and Joe Haden (2010).
He joins a cornerback room that includes Ward, Greedy Williams, and Troy Hill.
The selection immediately calls into question Williams' health and progress returning from a nerve injury in his shoulder that cost him the 2020 season but Berry maintains Newsome is not an insurance policy.
“Really this pick has no reflection or bearing on Greedy,” Berry said. “From our perspective, cornerback is a group where we want to be deep and we want to have a lot of guys that can cover. I think we saw the value of having really good cover corners last year, and that’s an area where we want to be deep over time.”