Can you believe it? Training camp is just undertwo weeks away. It's been another busy offseason for the Browns, and we'll start seeing how all the new and refined pieces come together very soon. We're preparing for it all with a comprehensive preview of every position on the roster,rolling next with the cornerbacks.
The Cornerbacks
Denzel Ward
Greg Newsome II
M.J. Emerson Jr.
A.J. Green III
Mike Ford
Cameron Mitchell
Thomas Graham Jr.
Chris Westry
Caleb Biggers
Bopete Keyes
What we know: There's no shortage in depth. That was the case last season, and it's even more apparent this year after Emerson emerged as a strong, starting-caliber cornerback last year as a rookie. The Browns inserted even more depth this offseason by adding Mike Ford, who is also a strong special teams player, in free agency and drafting Cameron Mitchell in the fifth-round of the draft to give them a cornerback room as deep as any other in the NFL. Ward, Newsome and Emerson will provide new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz ample flexibility to match up well against the different shapes and sizes of opposing receiver rooms.
What we don't know: Will Newsome still be the leading slot player? That appears to be the likeliest scenario, but it sounds as though Schwartz won't hesitate to slide Ward or Emerson inside if the matchups will be more favorable for the Browns. Ward notably took snaps inside during minicamp, and training camp should reveal how much the Browns plan to rotate their top corners. The Browns are also high on the potential of Mitchell, who performed well at Northwestern when he became a starter after Newsome, his close college friend, was drafted by the Browns in 2021.
Check out the best photos of CB Denzel Ward from the 2022 season
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins on November 13, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Browns lost 17-39.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers on January 8, 2023 at Acrisure Stadium. The Browns lost 14-28.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers on January 8, 2023 at Acrisure Stadium. The Browns lost 14-28.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders on January 1, 2023 at FedEx Field. The Browns won 24-10.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders on January 1, 2023 at FedEx Field. The Browns won 24-10.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders on January 1, 2023 at FedEx Field. The Browns won 24-10.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns on December 17, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 13-3.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders on January 1, 2023 at FedEx Field. The Browns won 24-10.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) after a NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football on September 22, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 29-17.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns on December 24, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns lost 10-17.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns on December 24, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns lost 10-17.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on December 11, 2022 at Paycor Stadium. The Browns lost 23-10.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on December 11, 2022 at Paycor Stadium. The Browns lost 23-10.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on December 11, 2022 at Paycor Stadium. The Browns lost 23-10.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins on November 13, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Browns lost 17-39.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) and Cornerback Greg Newsome II (20) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans on December 4, 2022 at NRG Stadium. The Browns won 27-14.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns on December 17, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 13-3.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans on December 4, 2022 at NRG Stadium. The Browns won 27-14.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns on November 27, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 23-17.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills on November 20, 2022 at Ford Field. The Browns lost 23-31.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins on November 13, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Browns lost 17-39.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers on September 11, 2022 at Bank of America Stadium. The Browns won 26-24.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans on December 4, 2022 at NRG Stadium. The Browns won 27-14.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns on November 27, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 23-17.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins on November 13, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Browns lost 17-39.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins on November 13, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Browns lost 17-39.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins on November 13, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Browns lost 17-39.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins on November 13, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Browns lost 17-39.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns on October 9, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns lost 30-28.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers on September 11, 2022 at Bank of America Stadium. The Browns won 26-24.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football on September 22, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 29-17.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons on October 2, 2022 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Browns lost 20-23.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) before a NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football on September 22, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 29-17.
The X-Factor: Newsome, who's entering his third season and will be one of the most versatile players in the cornerback room due to his ability to play the slot and outside. He still hasn't snagged his first career interception, but he's been nothing but steady through two seasons and would provide a big lift to the defense if he performs even better in Year 3.
The biggest number: 4. That's how many interceptions Browns cornerbacks had last season (Ward had three, while Green had one), and that was their contribution to the Browns' 11 total interceptions for the year, which ranked tied for 29th in the league. It shows just how much better the room can be even though they still performed well at different points of last season.
Says it all: "It's probably not going to be rotating guys within a game. But what you might see, depending on the matchup, you might see different players playing nickel in different games. A bigger guy that plays more physical, we might have one guy in there. A small, shifty, quick guy, we might have somebody else in there. There's the way we play our coverage. There's a lot of carryover between corner and nickel. It's not its own specific position, so I think it'll make us compartmentalize and be able to move guys around a little bit more." - Schwartz on how the Browns might rotate players at the slot position throughout the season
How many were kept on the initial 53-man roster last year?: 5
