Cleveland Browns: Greg Newsome should start from Day 1

The Cleveland Browns added Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and the prospect should find himself on the field come Opening Day.

Obviously, Denzel Ward will start at one of the outside spots, while Troy Hill will be the No. 1 defensive back covering the slot. That leaves an open spot for Newsome to swoop in and seize the job.

Obviously, it seems like I”m giving up on Greddy Williams, and I’m not. Obviously, it’s not a good guy sign when a guy misses an entire season during a tackling drill. Hopefully he’s healthy and ready to compete, but realistically, the Browns have to look at him the same way the fans do.

Williams may be healthy now, but it’s been a long time since we’ve seen him in game action, and he doesn’t enter his third year with a ton of experience under his belt. Ideally, Williams has a solid camp and becomes the fourth corner.

Considering how pass happy the NFL has become, he should still see his fair share of snaps.

And if Newsome doesn’t beat out Williams, then at the very worst, he’ll get his feet wet at the fourth corner. Considering his draft status, that better not be the case, though.

The addition of Newsome seems to be the final piece to the puzzle on defense, as the Browns signed safety John Johnson to play along with Grant Delpit and Ronnie Harrison in a scheme that will feature a lot of three-safety looks.

The Browns also signed Jadeveon Clowney to bolster the defensive line, a group that’s going to be fun to watch: Clowney and Myles Garrett, as well as Takk McKinley are edge rushers by trade, but look for Cleveland to line them up on the interior at times, as well.

Of course, if Andrew Berry wanted to add a tackle tonight, he could always trade up for the best defensive prospect on the board.