Browns Defense May Hinge on Unlikely Starter in Contract Year

The Cleveland Browns have a relatively stacked defense, which was the NFL’s best in 2023 in terms of total yards surrendered through the regular season.

Cleveland’s unit took a step back in 2024, finishing 19th in that same category with 5,816 yards allowed (342.1 yards per game) compared to 4,593 yards given up (270.2 yards per game) the year prior.

Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN authored a deep dive on the Browns’ defense ahead of the 2025 campaign, as he looked to identify X-factors on the unit who can lead it back to elite status. The first player he noted isn’t one of the team’s Pro Bowlers or $100 million earners, such as edge rusher Myles Garrett or cornerback Denzel Ward, but rather defensive back Martin Emerson Jr. who is entering a contract year this fall.

“In 2023, Emerson looked like an up-and-coming star cornerback in the league. Emerson allowed the lowest passer rating among corners with at least 40 targets (43.8),” Oyefusi wrote on Saturday, June 14. “But last season, Emerson was a frequent target for opposing offenses and allowed a passer rating of 100.5 when targeted, which ranked 49th out of 71 cornerbacks with at least 40 targets. It’s a critical season for Emerson, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. A bounce-back campaign could not only help vault the Browns’ defense back to the top of the league but result in a lucrative contract for Emerson.”

Martin Emerson Has Overtaken Greg Newsome in Browns Secondary

Cleveland selected Emerson, who will turn 25 years old this season, in the third round of the 2022 draft (No. 68 overall) out of Mississippi State. He will play the fourth and final year of his $5.5 million rookie contract in 2025.

Emerson usurped Greg Newsome II as the second member of the Cleveland secondary’s outside duo alongside Ward. Newsome — who is playing on the fifth-year team option the Browns exercised on his rookie deal as a former first-round pick, and who will be a free agent next summer — is now the team’s nickel cornerback.

Newsome is also a potential trade candidate ahead of the regular season, given that the Browns could save $13.4 million against the salary cap by dealing him. Moreover, if he has a bad year in 2025, Cleveland probably won’t want to bring him back on a longterm deal. But if Newsome plays well this season, the Browns may not be able to afford him — especially if they decide to sign Emerson to an extension.

Emerson has a chance to shine in 2025, push Newsome out of the secondary in one fashion or another and cement his place among the well-paid leaders on a Cleveland defense that has the talent to compete at the top of the league.

Browns Defense Starting Season at Deficit due to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Injury

That said, things won’t get any easier for the Browns’ defensive unit in 2025, as linebacker and 2023 Pro Bowler Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will miss the entire campaign due to a neck injury he sustained during the middle of last season.

Cleveland drafted linebacker Carson Schwesinger with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2024 draft to help fill the void Owusu-Koramoah leaves behind. Oyefusi also noted Schwesinger as a potential swing performer for the Browns during his rookie campaign.

“Schwesinger, a former walk-on at UCLA, only had one year as a starter but was one of the most productive linebackers in the nation,” Oyefusi wrote. “Of the 47 FBS players with at least 100 tackles last season, Schwesinger’s four missed tackles were the fewest. The Browns view Schwesinger as an ascending player who can play both the run and pass.”