Drafting players isn’t the only way to acquire talent in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers have plenty of needs to address this weekend. Defensive line and offensive line are at the top of the list, making cornerback — a position where Charvaris Ward is no longer around to stabilize — somewhat a roll of the dice for the Niners.
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San Francisco found a starting safety on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Malik Mustapha saved the safety position after Talanoa Hufanga was banged up. But will the 49ers strike gold again? That’s a big ask.
NFL Insider Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports tweeted the Cleveland Browns have two players available for trade, and one is former first-round pick Greg Newsome. The former No. 26 overall pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Newsome is slated to make $13.37 million in 2025. You’d then need to turn around and extend him. Newsome, who turns 25 in May, put two above-average seasons together before last year when he battled a hamstring injury that landed him on the Injured Reserve in Week 14. It was the second injury of the season, as Newsome needed preseason surgery on his hamstring.
In 2023, Newsome missed three games due to a groin, knee, and elbow injury. He missed two games in 2022 with a concussion and four games as a rookie — two were from a concussion, and the other two were from a calf injury.
So, it’s not entirely surprising that Cleveland would not want to commit to a player who has missed multiple games in each season. Injuries are nothing new with Newsome. He was banged up at Northwestern. That still didn’t prevent Cleveland from taking him in the first round. The 49ers met with Newsome ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, so the interest was there.
The fit couldn’t be better on the field. Newsome allowed completion percentages of 43 and 52 percent in 2022 and 2023. That number climbed to 56 percent this past season. Newsome has always been an aggressive tackler, which fits the mold of what Robert Saleh wants in a cornerback. He also has experience blitzing, which adds value and versatility.
Newsome was targeted 66 and 67 times in each of the previous two seasons before 2024 and only surrendered two touchdowns in each season. He’s competitive, aggressive, and a high-floor, high-ceiling player the 49ers could capitalize on during his second contract.
The 49ers have ammunition to pull off a trade for Newsome. Depending on how much money they’re willing to eat, we could be talking about multiple Day 3 picks. This is not a deal that will require the 49ers to part ways with a top-100 pick, given Newsome’s need for a new deal.
If the draft doesn’t fall the Niners’ way from a cornerback perspective, Newsome would be an ideal fit and an upgrade from what’s currently on the roster outside of Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir.
