The Cleveland Browns kicked off draft week by signing veteran cornerback Nik Needham, who is trying to regain his form after suffering a torn Achilles in 2022. The veteran defender appeared in two games last season with the Miami Dolphins, spending most of that time on the practice squad.
Nonetheless, this is a solid, low-risk, high-reward signing for the Browns, given that they lost veteran Mike Ford Jr. in free agency to the Atlanta Falcons. The 28-year-old Needham has 63 games of experience under his belt, but has played sporadically over the last few years.
The last time Needham played a full season was in 2021 with the Dolphins. He recorded 59 combined tackles, five pass deflections, two interceptions (a defensive touchdown), two quarterback hits, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery.
The 6-foot-1 cornerback also possessed a 65.1 completion percentage allowed on targets and a 73.4 pass rating allowed when targeted. The Browns would love for Needham to return to his 2021 form, giving the Browns’ secondary a huge boost.
On the other hand, the Browns signing the former Dolphins cornerback could open the door to a possible Greg Newsome II trade, which would be risky.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Newsome II is one of several players still on their rookie contracts “who could be deemed expendable.” The young cornerback is entering the last year of his rookie deal and hasn’t been signed to an extension yet.
The former first-round pick saw his name floated in trade rumors last year, but the Browns did not move him. Last season, the 24-year-old cornerback only had 27 combined tackles, five pass deflections, and an interception – a notable drop-off from the 2023 season.
Newsome also posted a 62.7 completion percentage allowed on targets (second-highest of his career), a 112.5 pass rating allowed when targeted (career-high), and gave up four receiving touchdowns.
In short, it wasn’t the best season by the former first-round pick. Would it be surprising if the Browns moved off Newsome during the draft? Yes, given that Needham hasn’t played a full season in years.
However, the Browns could always draft another cornerback to pair with Needham and ship off Newsome. Cleveland is an interesting spot as this team needs to rebuild, but hasn’t picked a direction on how to do it.