In a surprise, Browns take cornerback with 1st pick
BEREA — The Browns entered the NFL Draft with wide receiver and defensive line as their most glaring needs, but they addressed the cornerback position before anything else, using the 68th overall selection on Mississippi State’s Martin Emerson in the third round Friday night.
After a long wait, Emerson became the first player taken by the Browns in this year’s draft.
The choice was made after Browns General Manager Andrew Berry traded down 24 spots and out of the second round earlier in the night.
“I bring a little size. I bring some physicality. I’m just going to bring everything I’ve got. I’m excited just to be a part of the team,” Emerson said on Zoom from Atlanta.
Berry sent a second-round pick (44th overall) to the Houston Texans, a familiar trade partner, with the Browns receiving the 68th choice and two more selections in the fourth round (Nos. 108 and 124 overall). The Texans took Alabama receiver John Metchie III at No. 44.
Before the Browns went on the clock at No. 44, three cornerbacks came off the board in the second round. Auburn’s Roger McCreary went to the Tennessee Titans (No. 35), Washington’s Kyler Gordon to the Chicago Bears (No. 39) and Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr. to the Minnesota Vikings (No. 42).
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah moved up from No. 53 to No. 42 in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. Adofo-Mensah spent the past two seasons as the Browns’ vice president of football operations, and he leapfrogged Cleveland in his first draft at the helm.
Browns VP of player personnel Glenn Cook was asked if Gordon and Booth being picked shortly before the Browns went on the clock influenced Cleveland to trade down from No. 44.
“We’re not going to compare, but I think they’re both good players and wish them the best,” Cook said. “We really like Martin and what he can provide for us.”
The Browns had two more thirdround picks Friday night. They drafted UAB defensive end Alex Wright at No. 78 overall and Purdue receiver David Bell at No. 99.
Cleveland didn’t have a firstround selection Thursday night because it sent the 13th overall choice and five other picks to the Texans on March 18 in a controversial trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who faces 22 active civil lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual misconduct or sexual assault during massage appointments.
The Browns are stacked at cornerback — with two-time Pro Bowl selection Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II the starters, Troy Hill the nickelback and Greedy Williams a key backup — so Berry’s decision to use his first pick on Emerson is considered a surprise.
Even Berry said he couldn’t have predicted a cornerback would have been his first pick.
“You can never have enough corners,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said.
“They are like race cars,” Berry said. “When you have good ones, you really feel it in a positive way, and if you’re banged up or you don’t have depth there, we felt that a number of times before where you really are holding your breath from play to play. Martin is a young, long corner who can press and play off [coverage]. We were excited to get him there.”