BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns rookie cornerback Greg Newsome II being the team's first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft might make it seem like he's a shoo-in for a starting position, but he doesn't see it that way.
"Nothing is given. Everything is earned. At this point I'm trying to learn from some of those older guys like Greedy [Williams] and Denzel [Ward] and Troy [Hill] and just learn the coverages and just go out there and try to compete as best as I can. And whatever coach needs me to do, that's what I'm going to have to do," Newsome said.
While he's preparing to earn a starting role, there are two players in particular who Newsome said are mentoring him and helping get him up to speed and NFL ready: Cornerback Troy Hill and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr.
Newsome said that he's been getting plenty of advice from Hill as he heads into his rookie season.
"Troy Hill is a guy that I'm talking to all the time. And he just tells me to just have fun, just watch a lot of film and just study because at the end of the day, when you're comfortable out there and that's when you're going to be able to play the loosest. And that's when you get to play your fastest," Newsome said.
In addition to Hill, Newsome has found a brotherly mentor in Walker as well. The two both played college ball at Northwestern and now are strengthening that bond here in Cleveland.
"He's been the best big brother that I could ask for. It's great having a guy that went to my school that's literally playing on the same team as me," Newsome said. "I came up a little early, stayed with him and just kind of just learned from him, learned the ropes and learned what to do, how to study, how to watch film."
Newsome said he talks to Walker, a four-year vet, every single day, learning everything he can to be an explosive player for the Browns defense.
As he looks to make his talent seen among the Browns coaches and staff through training camp, Newsome is talking all of the advice and knowledge gained from Hill and Walker, among other teammates bound to help him along the way, and adding that to his valuable versatility while looking to earn a starting role.
"You'll see out here in a few days. At practice I'm working inside as well just to try to learn as much as I can and just get a grasp of the whole entire defense, because the more you know, that's how you're going to know where your help's coming from and things like that. So the more I can know, the better I'll be for the team and showcase my versatility," Newsome said.
RELATED: Browns open training camp with last season in rearview mirror, looking to push further in 2021
Camryn Justice is a digital content producer at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
