The Cleveland Browns are going into the 2022 season needing their secondary to help them win games.
While most Browns fans are focusing on Denzel Ward, there’s another cornerback in Cleveland to watch as well.
That would be Greg Newsome, who is entering his second year in the NFL.
However, there are plenty of questions about how well he can do in his second year.
With 2022 set to be an important season for the Browns, we’ll look at how the young corner can help his team.
Injuries And COVID Kept Newsome Off The Field In 2021
To see how good Newsome can be in 2022, we have to go back to his 2021 season.
That season saw him with 37 combined tackles while allowing a completion rate of 62.9% when targeted.
However, he only saw action in 12 games last season, missing games because of COVID-19 and injuries.
#Browns announced they are adding rookie CB Greg Newsome II to the injury report with a head injury and his game status will be questionable. He fell and hit his head on the last play of practice and is being evaluated for a concussion.
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) December 10, 2021
While the injuries could be a concern going into this season, the thing he’ll need to work on is his pass defending.
With quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow on the schedule for Cleveland, having Newsome make improvements is paramount for the team.
There’s no room for error against those quarterbacks, as giving them an above 50/50 chance is all they need to defeat the Browns.
However, the young corner is going into this season making those improvements.
Besides limiting completions, he’ll need to work on his ball skills, something he’s been working on since 2021.
#Browns Greg Newsome II, who has shown phenomenal form in his coverage early in his NFL career, said one of the areas he has seen improvement on is his ball skills. Credited the team for helping him develop his skills and shape the strengths he already has.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) October 27, 2021
But for 2022 he’s doing things to help not only himself but his team this season.
Newsome Is Working With Rookies To Help Them
During his rookie season, the young corner found inspiration from Denzel Ward.
"That's a guy that I've been patterning my game after since he was at Ohio State. Just watching him be a pro every single day is just helping my trajectory."#Browns Greg Newsome on Denzel Ward. pic.twitter.com/1DxgjLuOyZ
— MoreForYouCleveland (@MoreForYou_CLE) August 30, 2021
However, this season he’s using the skills he now has and is helping the new rookies on the Browns’ defense.
This mentoring is helping the Browns, as they are getting ready for a tough season.
As he’s honing his skills, he’s also passing off knowledge and help to other players that need it.
But how will this affect his 2022 season and his chances of making an improvement over last season?
A Healthy Newsome Can Have A Better Season In 2022
Newsome has shown in the games he’s played that he can hang with NFL receivers.
While his 2021 wasn’t great, he proved the Browns with some good coverage in games.
However, with him missing games, he wasn’t able to maximize his skill set last season.
That’s why health is important for him going into this second year.
A healthy Newsome could see his tackle number reach around 50 and he can get some interceptions this season.
While last season didn’t see him get a pick, 2022 is the year he gets his first ever NFL interception?
You can also expect him to get at least three picks by the end of the season, on-par with Ward’s numbers last season.
With Newsome, there’s nowhere else to go but up in Cleveland.
While he isn’t an elite corner, he’s proving he’s willing to work to become the next elite corner of the Browns roster.
NEXT: David Njoku Will Need To Earn His Contract This Season
