While a lot has been made of Caleb Farley and Patrick Surtain II, I have a new CB1 on my board — Northwestern’s Greg Newsome II. While I think Surtain and Farley both have very good qualities, they both come with some concerns. Surtain doesn’t possess top-end speed, which may cause issues against burners in one-on-one coverage. Farley is supremely athletic, but he has injury concerns and is pretty new to the position. The more tape I watch of Greg Newsome II, the more I’m convinced he can be a lockdown corner in the NFL. The trendy comparison right now is to Jaire Alexander, but Newsome is even bigger and faster.
https://twitter.com/nfl/status/1369353017712119814?s=10
#Northwestern CB Greg Newsome II (6-0, 188) gets my vote for the prospect that we see drafted earlier than expected.
This is a really good corner prospect. Inside/out versatility, fast feet, high IQ, little wasted motion, physical, and has ball skills. pic.twitter.com/6YquvwNyAR
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) February 9, 2021
Greg Newsome II Pro Day:
• HT: 6000
• WT: 192
• 40: 4.38 / 4.40
• 10-yard split: 1.51
• Broad: 10’3”
• Vertical: 40”
• 3-Cone: 6.94
• Bench: 18 reps
• SS: 4.28— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) March 10, 2021
I don’t think Newsome is an option with the fourth overall selection, but he is someone the Falcons could move back into the first round for. Plenty of cornerback needy teams like Buffalo, Green Bay, and others picking at the bottom of the first round could easily jump all over Newsome. His concerns are few and far between; he has a history with injuries and needs to put on a little bit of weight. Other than that, he’s a very clean prospect.
In addition to his athletic traits, Newsome only allowed a 10.5% completion percentage over six games in 2020. He could be an immediate plug and play starter at CB2, and if he reaches his full potential, he’s a lockdown CB1 that creates an elite young tandem next to AJ Terrell. The Falcons will have to hope that Newsome falls to 36, but I think he would be worth moving back into the first round for, especially with Atlanta’s lack of depth at the position.
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