Greg Newsome II
Gregory Newsome II is an American professional football cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
Early life
Newsome attended Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, Illinois before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his senior year. He committed to Northwestern University to play college football.College career
Newsome recorded 71 tackles and one interception over three years at Northwestern. He started 18 games and led the Wildcats to two Big Ten title games. As a junior in 2020, he was named an All-American by The Athletic. After that season, he entered the 2021 NFL draft.Professional career
Pre-draft
ranked Newsome as the third best cornerback prospect in the draft. Dane Brugler of The Athletic and Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire had Newsome ranked as the fourth best cornerback prospect. NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah had Newsome ranked fourth among all cornerbacks. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN had him as the fourth best cornerback. Rob Rang of Fox Sports had Newsome ranked as the fourth cornerback prospect. The majority of NFL draft analysts projected him to be drafted in the late first-round or possibly the second-round.Cleveland Browns
2021
The Cleveland Browns selected Newsome in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Newsome's pick marked the first time Northwestern has had two first-round picks in the NFL draft after Rashawn Slater was taken 13th overall. He was the fourth cornerback taken in the draft.On July 24, 2021, the Cleveland Browns signed Newsome to a four–year, $12.74 million contract that is fully guaranteed upon signing and includes an initial signing bonus of $6.63 million. Entering training camp, Newsome was slated to be a starting cornerback, replacing Terrance Mitchell. Head coach Kevin Stefanski named Newsome and Denzel Ward the starting cornerbacks to start the regular season.
On September 12, 2021, Newsome started in his professional regular season debut and had one solo tackle during a 29–32 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. He was inactive for two consecutive games after injuring his calf. In Week 9, he recorded five solo tackles and had a season-high three pass deflections during a 41–16 win at the Cincinnati Bengals. On December 10, 2021, Newsome suffered a concussion after hitting his head during the last play of a practice and was subsequently sidelined for three games. Kn January 3, 2022, he racked up a season-high eight combined tackles and deflected two passes as the Browns lost 14–26 at the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished his rookie season in 2021 with a total of 37 combined tackles and nine pass deflections in 12 games and 11 starts. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. He received an overall grade of 68.1 from Pro Football Focus in 2021. His coverage grade from PFF was 70.6 during his rookie season.
2022
Defensive coordinator Joe Woods retained Newsome and Denzel Ward as the starting cornerback duo at the start of the regular season. On November 13, 2022, Newsome made three combined tackles and made his first career sack on wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. with teammate Deion Jones for a six–yard loss during a 17–39 loss at the Miami Dolphins. He was sidelined for two games after sustaining a concussion in practice. In Week 14, Newsome collected a season–high six combined tackles in the Browns' 10–23 loss at the Cincinnati Bengals. In the 2022 NFL season, Newsome recorded a total of 42 combined tackles, six pass deflections, and was credited with half a sack in 15 games and 15 starts. His overall grade from Pro Football Focus improved to 69.1 in 2022. He also improved his coverage grade of 72.3.2023
On January 9, 2023, the Cleveland Browns announced their decision to fire defensive coordinator Joe Woods. On January 18, 2023, the Cleveland Browns announced the hiring of Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator. Head coach Kevin Stefanski retained Newsome and Denzel Ward as the starting cornerback tandem for the third consecutive season.He was inactive during the Browns' Week 3 victory against the Tennessee Titans after injuring his elbow. Newsome injured his groin and subsequently missed a 27–0 loss against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9. On November 12, 2023, Newsome made two combined tackles, was credited with half a sack, made one pass deflection, and returned an interception thrown by Lamar Jackson to fullback Patrick Ricard 34–yards for his first career touchdown late in the fourth quarter to aid in the Browns' 33–31 comeback victory at the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 12, he collected a season–high seven combined tackles and broke up a pass during a 12–29 loss at the Denver Broncos. On December 10, 2023, Newsome recorded five solo tackles, a season–high four pass deflections, and intercepted a pass attempt thrown by Trevor Lawrence to wide receiver Calvin Ridley as the Browns defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 27–31. Head coach Kevin Stefanski opted to rest Newsome and the starting lineup during a Week 18 loss at the Cincinnati Bengals in order to rest and prepare for the postseason. He completed the season with a total of 49 combined tackles, 14 pass deflections, two interceptions, and a touchdown in 14 games and 13 starts. He earned an overall grade of 75.8 from Pro Football Focus.
The Cleveland Browns finished the 2023 NFL season second in the AFC North with an 11–6 to clinch a Wildcard berth. On January 13, 2024, Newsome made four solo tackles and one pass deflection as the Browns lost 14–45 at the Houston Texans in the AFC Wildcard Game.
2024
On April 30, 2024, the Cleveland Browns exercised the fifth–year option on Newsome's rookie contract for a one–year, $13.37 million guaranteed. Head coach Kevin Stefanski remained with the pairing of Greg Newsome and Denzel Ward as the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season. Heading into Week 3, head coach Kevin Stefanski demoted Newsome to the third cornerback on the depth chart and primary backup and named Martin Emerson his replacement for the rest of the season.In Week 6, he collected a season–high five solo tackles during a 16–20 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles. On December 2, 2024, Newsome recorded one solo tackle, made a season–high two pass deflections, and had his only interception of the season on a pass thrown by Bo Nix to wide receiver Troy Franklin during a 32–41 loss at the Denver Broncos. In Week 14, Newsome recorded two solo tackles before exiting in the fourth quarter of a 14–27 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers after injuring his hamstring. On December 11, 2024, the Cleveland Browns officially placed him on injured reserve, causing him to miss the last four games of the regular season. He finished the season with 27 combined tackles, five pass deflections, and one interception in 13 games and three starts. He ended the 2024 NFL season with an overall grade of 52.2 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 177th among 223 qualifying cornerbacks.