Cleveland Browns 53-man roster prediction without Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns Cornerbacks (5):

Denzel Ward
Greg Newsome
Greedy Williams
Martin Emerson
A.J. Green

One of the deepest positions on the Browns entire roster happens to be at cornerback. Cleveland enters the year with three players who were the top picks for the team in their respective drafts —  Greg Newsome, Greedy Williams, and Martin Emerson.

Newsome was their first-round pick a year ago and played very well in his rookie campaign. This year, he’s working in the slot more and proving to be a versatile weapon.

Williams was their second-round pick in 2019, which was the year they had no pick in Round 1 due to the Odell Beckham trade. Injuries have slowed him down but he was solid in 2021 after missing the previous season due to a nerve issue in his shoulder.

This year, their top selection was Martin Emerson, who was taken at No. 68 in Round 3 — after they traded their Round 1 pick to Houston for Deshaun Watson then followed suit by trading their pick in the second round to Houston as well. Emerson is a lengthy corner who should be No. 4 on the depth chart as a rookie but will get plenty of opportunities to show what he can do.

The final corner is A.J. Green, a former undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State. He’s played well when given the chance and will only get better the more snaps he gets.

All of this is without even mentioning Denzel Ward, who was the No. 4 overall pick in 2018 — the same year Baker Mayfield went No. 1. Ward has developed into one of the best in the league and was rewarded handsomely for that this offseason when he signed a multi-year extension. As good as this unit is, he’s the one they rely on to slow down the opposing No. 1 receiver, and he’s always up to the task.