Greg Newsome is a cornerback who is seen as a late riser by many. He’s a 6’1 190 lb cornerback from Northwestern. He has great size with solid technique and it’s easy to tell that he’s been coached up extremely well as evidenced by his refined technique. He will be a solid contributor from Day 1 in zone coverage and press man coverage, and he’ll make a solid day two pick for some team. 

Strengths: 

  • Good Size

Greg Newsome is 6’1 190 lbs with great arm length. This screams big NFL corner prospect, and there are a lot of CBs this year with great size. His size is clearly something he has going for him. 

  • Decent Speed/Quickness

He’s not overly fast or anything but he has more than enough speed to keep up with receivers down the field. He also has quick fluid steps that allow him to keep up with receivers and oily hips that allow him to turn and run with limited movement. 

  • Great at Knocking the Ball Away

Newsome has great ball skills and is adept at batting away passes from receivers. He does a good job tracking the ball and flashes his hands in the correct location to break up passes.

  • Great Technique

In zone coverage Newsome has choppy steps backward that allow him to read the receiver and either flip and turn up field or charge down underneath. In press he has good footwork and body movements to mirror.

  • Amazing Closing Burst

Once Newsome identifies something underneath he closes extremely fast with great acceleration. Although he could do a better job trusting what he sees once he gets going he’s incredibly quick downhill.

  • Man/Zone Flexibility

Greg Newsome played all kinds of coverages at Northwestern so in the NFL he’s going to have great flexibility. Defensive coordinators will love that he can play Cover 3 and press man, which gives them more options.

Weaknesses: 

  • Acts on What He Sees Slow

Receivers are often able to get easy yards underneath on Newsome because of his tendency to not immediately act upon what he sees. He needs to trust his instincts more and be a little more aggressive sometimes.

  • Sometimes Panicky When Ball is in the Air

Greg Newsome was frequently called for pass interference in college. This is mainly because of his tendency to get grabby when the ball is in the air, especially if he thinks the receiver has gained any separation on him.

  • Doesn’t Position Himself Well

This ties in with the next point but while Greg Newsome does have great ball skills that allowed him to swat many balls, he doesn’t position himself well at the catch point. In the NFL better jump ball receivers will easily take advantage of this.

  • Limited Ball Production

Newsome is adept at racking up pass breakups but he had just one interception in his collegiate career. He doesn’t put himself in position to intercept passes and he has the mentality of forcing an incompletion before he even thinks about creating a takeaway. 

Player Comp: This was a player comparison that I found extremely hard because there’s really not a lot of guys in the league that have a similar athletic profile and play style to Newsome. The closest one I can think of is Trae Waynes, who was also a great corner in press man and zone coverage. The size is extremely similar and both guys have great closing speed. Both guys also don’t position themselves well at the catch point and are panicky when the ball is in the air. There are some differences namely Waynes having better long speed while Newsome is quicker, and Newsome also has better footwork and technique, which is why I think Newsome will be a slightly better player. 

Final Thoughts: Some people are extremely high on Newsome having him in the late first range and I think I’m a bit lower in Newsome than that. I think the early second round range is probably the range I’d put Newsome in. He is a corner however, that is pretty pro ready so although corners don’t typically do the best their first year in the league, Newsome should be decent for any team that needs a quick fix at corner immediately. I think a good spot for him would be the Jets who will play different looks in coverage, have a need at corner, and are looking in the near future, which is when Newsome will look better than his peers.