3 Defensive position battles to watch at Browns training camp

2. Cornerback depth chart

In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Browns were already without a first-round pick, then they decided to trade out of the 44th spot — where the Houston Texans ended up taking John Metchie II from Alabama. Cleveland wasn’t back on the clock until pick No. 68 in Round 3, which is where they selected Martin Emerson from Mississippi State.

This choice was a bit of an eyebrow-raiser since there seemed to be more pressing areas of need. The Browns not only could have used another wideout capable of being the No. 2 guy, but they also needed help at defensive tackle.

Instead of addressing one of those needs, they added to a secondary that already has Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, Greedy Williams, and A.J. Green. Troy Hill was also there but he was quickly traded back to the Los Angeles Rams.

Having said all that, general manager Andrew Berry was clearly looking for the best player available. He was also thinking of the future since Williams is nearing the end of his rookie contract.

But for this season, the question will be how the group shakes out for 2022. We know Ward and Newsome are the starters — and Newsome has been working in the slot to increase his value to the team. What we don’t know is if Emerson can beat out Green and Williams this season, or if their top pick this season going to be scarcely seen in year one.

Training camp won’t tell us all we need to know but it will be a start.