The Cleveland Browns are currently completing joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings. One of the players standing out in a positive way is Martin Emerson Jr. The third-year player can be seen above with an impressive rep against Vikings star Justin Jefferson.
This is not the only time that you can see Emerson holding his own against Jefferson. You can see another clip here and here. While the Browns and their fans have known about the potential of Emerson, moments like this are starting to capture the national media's attention.
Jefferson walked away from these joint practice impressed with Emerson. In an interview, Jefferson was extremely complimentary of Emerson.
"He's a long physical corner. He's definitely going to cause some problems out there on the field. It's great to go up against corners like that."
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
This is great news for the Browns and their fans. The Browns recently had to place star cornerback Denzel Ward into concussion protocol again (this is the fifth time that's happened). With the uncertain future of Ward, it is a welcomed site to see their ascending star Emerson step up in a big moment like this.
Hopefully Emerson is able to build upon these practices and carry it over into the regular season. If Ward is able to come back healthy and Emerson is playing like this, the Browns defense has a chance to be truly dominant. Especially with the added benefit of playing with Myles Garrett.
Cleveland and Minnesota will face off on Saturday in the second preseason game. It's unlikely Emerson or Jefferson play but these joint sessions tell us all we need to know about the defensive back.
