The Cleveland Browns don't have many strengths to draw on headed into 2025. On offense, that's clear - with just one or two options on that end of the field that seem primed for a solid 2025 campaign, there aren't many players standing out as game changers for Cleveland on offense.
On defense, though, there's still some hope of salvation - especially at cornerback. While the Browns' secondary might not have been as lock down as they were in 2023, they have a ton of familiar faces from their 11-7 season ready to bounce back in 2025.
Browns cornerbacks headed into 2025
The cornerbacks that are on track to return to Cleveland for the 2025 season are Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson Jr., Greg Newsome II, Cameron Mitchell, Myles Harden, and Chigozie Anusiem.
Ward has been a defensive stalwart since the Browns drafted him in 2018 and his streak of solid play continued in 2024. He was graded the 41st (out of 116) cornerbacks in the league by Pro Football Focus, they also credited him with a commendable 86.3 passer rating allowed.
As far as counting stats, he finished the season with 49 tackles, 2 interceptions, a league-leading 19 pass breakups and one forced fumble. The lone concern continues to be availability for the lockdown corner.
Read more: How can the Browns fix their cornerback woes in 2025 offseason?
Despite his comments of uncertainty in response to Myles Garrett's trade request, it is extremely unlikely that the Browns move on from him, as a trade before June 1st would trigger an additional $5.8 million cap charge. The Browns desperately need players like Ward, and the Ohio State product will hopefully stick around.
Emerson is a puzzling piece, as his 4 interception campaign in 2023 seemed to forecast a bright future. However, PFF graded Martin as the 111th cornerback in the league, with a bloated 108.7 passer rating allowed in 2024. He was unable to snag any interceptions, and his pass deflections plummeted from 14 in 2023 to just 5.
The tools are there for him, as he has shown, but this season (the final of his rookie contract) will be the one where he has to prove himself worthy of an extension.
Greg Newsome II is another intriguing player, and with a bit of a twist. After the 2023 campaign, in which he had a stellar 80.3 passer rating allowed, Greg appeared on the fast track to being the league's top nickel cornerback. 2024 was the worst year of his career, as he allowed a grisly 120.7 passer rating.
His overall PFF ranking fell to 106th in the league. He finished with 27 tackles, 1 interception, and 5 passes defensed.
The entire Browns team would probably like a mulligan on the 2024 disaster of a season, and Newsome II is no different. The twist with him is that, because he is playing under his 5th year option, the entirety of his cap hit would be wiped away with a trade. Should he be traded before June 1st, the Browns would save $13.7 million against the salary cap.
As a team that's presently $31 million OVER the salary cap for 2025 - before free agency or the draft - the possibility of a trade cannot be ruled out.
Cameron Mitchell ended up playing 34% of the defensive snaps. PFF graded his performance poorly, as he finished 105th in the league. The passer rating allowed makes one want to cover their eyes, at 118.2. He finished with 24 tackles and 2 passes defensed. Harden and Anusiem played little in 2024 and will look to earn bigger roles in training camp.
Tony Brown II and Mike Ford Jr. are on expiring contracts. These departures do not necessitate additions, but the significance of the cornerback position, coupled with a potential Greg Newsome II trade, means one cannot rule out a significant addition being made to the group.
The view here is that it would likely come via the draft, as doling out big money to a CB after jettisoning Newsome would seemingly be counter-intuitive.
It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if the Browns ran it back with the young trio of Ward, Emerson Jr., and Newsome II who will be 28, 24, and 25 respectively at season's kickoff. However, don't sleep on the Browns making a trade involving Newsome, and a using a potentially high draft pick on a replacement in April's draft.