Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: CB Greg Newsome II

I think that most of us will agree, whether it’s signing a veteran in free agency, selecting a player or two in the draft, or preferably both, addressing the cornerback position is at the top of the Green Bay Packers’ to-do list this offseason.

They, of course, have Jaire Alexander, who has developed into one of the best corners in the game, but after him, there is a whole lot of question marks and inexperience. Josh Jackson was a healthy scratch in several games at the end of the 2020 season, and at this point, a turnaround is something that can’t be counted on.

Ka’dar Hollman was also a healthy scratch on a few occasions, and we still haven’t seen enough of him to know exactly what Green Bay has in him–although him being a healthy scratch tells us a lot. KeiVarae Russell was primarily a special teams player, and Stanford Samuels spent 2020 on the practice squad.

It’s safe to say that addressing this position is a must for the Green Bay Packers, and one player who is garnering a lot of attention lately is Greg Newsome II out of Northwestern.

The 6’1″ – 190 pound Newsome appeared in 21 games during his Northwestern career, which included 18 starts. He is someone who has improved each year, and that culminated with an excellent 2020 season.

From 2018 to 2020, Newsome saw his completion percentage each season drop from 76 percent to 57 percent to a measly 35 percent most recently. His yards allowed went from 349 to 342 to just 93 this past year. The same can be said for Newsome’s yards per catch allowed, which was only 7.8 in 2020, compared to 12.7 in 2019 and 14.0 in 2018.

On top of that, Newsome added a career-high seven pass breakups, recorded his first interception, didn’t allow a touchdown, and his passer rating when targeted was 31.7–again a career-best. Newsome has dabbled in the slot, but primarily he was used strictly as a boundary corner at Northwestern.

While Pro Football Focus ($) grades aren’t everything, they are a useful metric for showing who is playing really well, as well as who is playing really badly. In Newsome’s case, he is the former, finishing with a coverage grade of 83.8 this past season, which ranked 9th out of 431 eligible cornerbacks.

For a closer look at Newsome’s game and what he brings to the Green Bay Packers, here is what Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network has to say in his pre-draft scouting report of the Northwestern cornerback:

"“Newsome II has showcased strong ball skills and length to pair with high-end levels of flexibility and functional athleticism—that’s a blend that is going to get Newsome II drafted sooner rather than later…”“….Newsome II is instinctual and offers suddenness in split decisions in coverage; frequently driving to the target and attacking the football in the air. He brings the right kind of attitude to perimeter play both in collision routes and in run support and tackling at the line of scrimmage, but his aggressive angles will need a little work to ensure he’s secured tackles at the catch point before attempting to attack the football and undercut throws. Durability will be a big missing link for those on the outside—Newsome II is yet to play a full season of college ball.”"

Newsome is PFF’s ninth rated cornerback in this year’s class and the 60th rated player overall. But as I mentioned in the beginning, after a very good 2020 season, his stock is currently on the rise — at least in the draft community — as Newsome has been featured in the late first round of several different mock drafts recently, after primarily being a Round 2 or even Round 3 selection early on.

Jordan Reid of The Draft Network calls Newsome his draft prospect that gets selected “earlier than expected.”

Reportedly, the Green Bay Packers have already had a virtual meeting with Newsome. And for a team that is in desperate need of some cornerback help, Newsome is certainly in play for the Packers at pick 29 in this year’s draft.