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You’ve probably heard Paul DePodesta, Andrew Berry, or Kevin Stefanski use the term ”scheme agnostic” to describe 2021 first-round pick Greg Newsome II, and I think it is accurate. Newsome has the talent to succeed in any scheme, and he played in a variety of coverages at Northwestern.
The Wildcats’ staple coverage was probably an aggressive brand of Quarters, very similar to the Quarters scheme used by the Ohio State Buckeyes under DC Chris Ash while fellow Brown Denzel Ward was in college. Theoretically, picking Newsome gives the Browns a pair of corners who can play press, off, man, or zone, with or without safety help.
Newsome is impressive athletically on tape, but his performance was even more impressive if you understand what was asked of him within his defense. I took a look at some of Northwestern’s coverages and Newsome’s assignments in the video below: