Greg
Newsome II.
Greg
Newsome II.
Northwestern· 6'0"· 192 lb· 4.39s 40
"A technically clean Northwestern corner whose questions live in the medical file and the sample size. When the tape exists, it is CB1-caliber."Pre-draft read
The defender aligns as an outside cornerback. From press alignment, he uses a strong two-hand jam without oversetting, mirroring releases with quick footwork to carry vertical routes without opening the gate early. He demonstrates elite lateral fluidity and a quick hip flip, allowing him to mirror receivers downfield with secondary burst.
He shows reps in press-man, off-zone, and Cover 2 flats, understanding leverage rules and passing off routes on switch releases. He times his hand at the catch point to force incompletions rather than grabbing, maintaining hip-pocket coverage without drawing flags.
Newsome II is scheme-versatile given his size-speed combination, but his immediate and ideal fit is in a quarters or Cover-3 match system where he can play boundary outside CB.
Immediate starter as an outside corner in a diverse coverage scheme, with the ceiling to be a plus-starter with 1st-Pro Bowl upside given improved play strength and ball production.
Man-heavy outside-zone systems that ask him to tackle pulling guards and fit the run while also mirroring boundary 'X' wideouts in isolation.
A high-floor, high-character press-man/off-man corner with starter traits, but his long-term ceiling is tied to his ability to add play strength and improve his ball production as an NFL starter.
Northwestern Football | Greg Newsome II Game Film
2021 NFL Draft Preview: Northwestern's Greg Newsome | B1G
Greg Newsome, the Best Cornerback in the 2021 NFL Draft? — 3/12/21
This prospect profiles as a plug-and-play boundary corner in any coverage scheme, offering a multi-year NFL-starter floor due to his movement skills and technique. His athleticism, including a 4.38-second forty-yard dash, provided a strong foundation for evaluators projecting his transition to the professional level.
He started for three seasons as an outside cornerback at Northwestern, rotating in 2018 as a redshirt freshman, becoming a starter in 2019, and having a breakout 2020 season in a six-game schedule. During this 2020 season, his performance in the Ohio State game, where he recorded three pass breakups, significantly influenced his pre-draft ranking, even with only one interception in three seasons.
The primary red flag in his evaluation was his limited ball production, with only one interception across his three collegiate years, coupled with reactive tackle technique. He was generally considered a consensus top-30 prospect with a solid floor but a perceived ceiling limited by his ball skills. He was selected 26th overall by Cleveland.
- 01
Play Style Versatility
Plays in press-man, off-zone, and Cover 2 flats, showing understanding of leverage rules and route passing.
- 02
Press Alignment Mechanics
Uses a strong two-hand jam without oversetting, mirroring releases with quick footwork on vertical routes.
- 03
Lateral Fluidity
Demonstrates elite lateral fluidity and a quick hip flip to mirror receivers downfield with secondary burst.
- 04
Catch Point Technique
Times his hand at the catch point to force incompletions, maintaining hip-pocket coverage without drawing flags.
- 05
Scheme Fit
Profiles as a plug-and-play boundary corner in any coverage scheme, offering a multi-year NFL-starter floor.
- 01
Ball Production
Limited ball production with only one interception across three collegiate years, despite strong pre-draft ranking.
- 02
Tackling Technique
Exhibits reactive tackle technique, occasionally getting run through on crack-and-replace looks.
- 03
Durability Concerns
Dealt with lower-body and groin injuries at Northwestern, leading to shortened seasons.
- 04
Deep Ball Tracking
Occasionally loses track of the deep ball over his outside shoulder when flipped on a go route, creating PI risk.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.39sp50
- Vertical
- 40inp50
- Broad jump
- 123inp50
- Three-cone
- 6.90sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.26sp50
- Bench
- 18repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Northwestern | 6 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | Northwestern | 8 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 2020 | Northwestern | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Career | — | 20 | 71 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Quality starting corner whose athleticism and coverage versatility make him valuable, even if the takeaway ceiling is modest.
Smart, sticky cover corner with route recognition and short-area quickness that can translate inside or outside.
Talented first-round cover man whose injuries and physical limitations keep interrupting the starter projection.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
2021 (rookie, CLE): 12 outside CB starts, 74 PFF grade, 3 pass breakups — All-Rookie honorable. 2022: 14 outside starts, 72 PFF grade, 1 INT. 2023: slot conversion by a defensive scheme, 76 PFF grade in 12 games, 2 INTs. 2024: 15 games as slot starter, 74 PFF grade, 1 INT. March 2025: traded to JAX for a 5th (CLE prioritized re-signing Denzel Ward). 2025 (JAX): combined outside/slot role within a defensive scheme. Career_av: 22.
Newsome is the cleanest mid-1st round CB evaluation of the 2021 class, and the post-draft arc has confirmed both the multi-year starter floor and the ball-skills-capped ceiling. Northwestern developed him as an outside CB across three starting seasons, with the 6-game 2020 season the pre-draft ranking catalyst — specifically the Ohio State game where he put up 3 pass breakups against Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. At 6'0"/192 lbs, 32" arms and a pro day of 4.38 forty, 41" vertical, 4.05 shuttle (RAS 8.16), the biometrics and athleticism were top-tier for the class.
The pre-draft bear case was evaluated honestly: 1 INT in three Northwestern years was a ball-skills red flag, and reactive tackle technique was a structural limit. The consensus board had him top-30. CLE at #26 selected him as an ideal complement to Denzel Ward and John Johnson III.
Rookie 2021: 12 starts at outside CB, 74 PFF grade, 3 pass breakups — All-Rookie honorable. 2022: 14 outside starts, 72 PFF grade, 1 INT (his first ever combined college + NFL). 2023: converted to slot full-time by a team defensive scheme — 76 PFF grade in slot, 12 games, 2 INTs. The move to slot was the career-saving pivot: the tackle-technique-vs-power-run limitation that was a liability outside became a relative strength in slot, where the matchup is vs. WR3/TE, not corner routes downfield. 2024: 15 games as slot starter, 74 PFF grade, 1 INT — solidified as a top-15 nickel CB.
March 2025: CLE traded Newsome + a 6th to JAX for a 5th in a cap move — the team prioritized re-signing Ward. In JAX, within a particular defensive scheme, back to outside CB with variable snap counts between outside and slot.
The likely Bradley Roby comp landed precisely: multi-year starter CB without star power or ball production, with a productive floor in the right system. The high Chris Harris Jr. comp didn't arrive because the ball skills never showed up. It's exactly what Cleveland bought at #26: a starter floor with limited production. A correct pick, not a great one.