Tag: Martin Emerson Jr.

4 Downs: Grant Delpit shines, Deshaun Watson leaves room for more as Browns beat Bengals

The Browns start the season 1-0 for the second straight years. What can we take away from this dominant showing against the Bengals?

The Cleveland Browns have won a Week 1 home opener for the first time since Jeff Garcia was the quarterback in 2004. While it was ugly in a rain-effected duel of lackluster play between Deshaun Watson and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, Jim Schwartz made his name known. Myles Garrett, Grant Delpit, and others made a statement in this game against the back-to-back AFC North champs.

The Browns now start the season 1-0 in back-to-back seasons. It was not pretty offensively, but the Browns rode Nick Chubb to the finish line, as he rushed for 106 yards on 18 touches. Defensively, the Browns held the highest-paid professional athlete to just 82 yards on 14-of-31 passing as they sacked him twice as well in this slopfest.

What can we take away from this Week 1 victory today before we celebrate a victory Monday tomorrow? Welcome to the first 4 Downs of the 2023 regular season. It is good to be back.

PFF’s 10 highest-graded defensive players vs. Chiefs

The starters showed plenty to be excited about

When the defensive starters were on the field for the Cleveland Browns in Kansas City against the Chiefs, they gave fans plenty to look forward to. It started with former Chief Juan Thornhill breaking perfectly on a pass and returning it for a pick-six. Granted that wasn’t against Patrick Mahomes but it was still something nice to see from Thornhill.

The defensive line, again without Myles Garrett, showed exactly why some people think they can be a top-flight unit. All in all, there was plenty to like from the Browns and this is who stood out the most according to PFF in Saturday’s preseason finale.

Trio of talented Browns cornerbacks left off list of NFL’s best

The Browns need their trio of talented cornerbacks to bounce back in 2023.

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The Cleveland Browns have invested a ton into their secondary, including two first round picks and a third round pick at the cornerback position. And outside of a staggeringly strong rookie season from Martin Emerson Jr., the trio underperformed under former defensive coordinator Joe Woods. The talent is there, but there is no doubt the unit needs a bounce-back season as a whole.

As a result of their uneven play a year ago, none of the three cornerbacks made the cut in Doug Farrar’s top 11 rankings at the position. Denzel Ward has played to the tune of a top seven, and Greg Newsome II even produced strongly as a rookie in 2021. The Browns need these guys playing like their old selves again under Jim Schwartz.

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4 Downs: Piecing together thoughts from a long offseason

Welcome to a vacation period edition of 4 Downs!

We have reached the six-week portion of the offseason where all 32 teams have entered a vacation period. This means we have to wait until training camp for any big Cleveland Browns happenings throughout the rest of the summer. As head coach Kevin Stefanski and his team take this time to refocus and rest before getting back to work, we take this time to reflect on the long offseason it has been to this point.

As we enter the vacation period, here is some food for thought on what the Browns have done this offseason and what it means for their 2023 season.

PFN has high praise for Martin Emerson Jr., not so much for Greg Newsome II

PFN has love for Martin Emerson Jr., but not so much for Greg Newsome II.

The Cleveland Browns found a good one in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, selecting cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. And while he will have to fight for playing time under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, he did experience a breakout, and Pro Football Network’s Arif Hasan noticed. Ranking his top cornerbacks entering the 2023 season, Emerson fell 25th on Hasan’s list. His teammate, Greg Newsome II, however, did not make the cut.

Here is what Hasan has to say about Emerson’s rookie season:

“… Martin Emerson has escaped larger public attention despite his high level of play. He only allowed a 50 percent completion rate in coverage and shined when he could play in man coverage. Emerson plays with physicality and does a great job rerouting receivers and disrupting timing, and with all of the potential the Browns have on their back end, they could end up as a sneaky pick for one of the top defenses in the NFL.”

Denzel Ward was also ranked in Hasan’s list, falling as his 29th cornerback in the NFL entering 2023.

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Browns land a familiar face, just earlier, in a 2022 NFL Draft redo

The Browns landed a familiar face in a 2022 NFL Draft do-over.

We have officially hit the offseason, where there are no games to cover so the coverage gets a bit more creative. And that is just what ESPN did when they decided to re-draft the 2022 NFL Draft just a season later. In this scenario, the Cleveland Browns did not trade out of the 44th overall pick, but still landed the same familiar face in cornerback Martin Emerson Jr.

ESPN’s Jake Trotter had this to say about the selection:

“Emerson had a terrific rookie season for the Browns, winning a starting job out of camp opposite Denzel Ward. Cleveland would be happy to grab him again here, a round earlier. Emerson’s size and range allowed him to hang with some of the top wideouts in the league. With Ward, Emerson and 2021 first-round pick Greg Newsome, Cleveland would boast a foundational cornerback trio that is young, versatile and prolific.”

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Browns 2022 team awards: Myles Garrett or Nick Chubb for team MVP?

Who were the top players for the Browns in 2022?

The 2022 season has come to an end for the Cleveland Browns after a disappointing conclusion in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With no postseason to play for, however, we are safe to go ahead and hand out team awards now rather than wait a few more weeks. It was a season of disappointment for the Browns in 2022.

They are in the midst of a defensive coordinator search, they may still move on from their special teams coordinator in Mike Priefer, and they are sure to turn over a good chunk of their defensive roster in free agency as well. However, what were some bright spots to use as a foundation to build on in 2023? Here are the team awards for the Browns.

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Opinion: Martin Emerson Jr. should get Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration

Martin Emerson Jr. deserves his flowers.

There were fans that were shocked during last April’s draft when the Cleveland Browns traded back and selected Martin Emerson Jr. in the third round. The team had just drafted Greg Newsome in the first round the year before and signed Denzel Ward to a massive extension. After injuries thrust Emerson into the starting lineup he showed that he was up to the challenge of playing corner in the NFL.

Emerson possesses great size which allows him to cover the bigger wide receivers in the league without giving up a ton of separation. This season according to pro football reference Emerson has only allowed a 52.4 percent completion when targeted in the passing game. PFF has graded Emerson as the seventh-highest rookie in coverage this season.

Though he might not have done enough Emerson should get consideration for defensive rookie of the year after being a surprise pick and producing right away. His season-long reception allowed is 45 yards and he has only allowed 101 yards after the catch all season.

Emerson deserves his flowers.

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Browns vs. Steelers: 3 matchups to watch in Week 18 divisional bout

Here are three matchups that could define the game tomorrow.

The Cleveland Browns are looking to end the season on a 5-2 run, and with back-to-back wins for the second time this season. They also have the opportunity to spoil the playoff hopes of the Pittsburgh Steelers, just as they did to the Washington Commanders a week ago.

Divisional matchups are always tougher, so the Browns will have their work cut out for them. Jadeveon Clowney has already been ruled out after his tantrum this week, so the Browns will be down a defensive starter as well.

As the Browns travel to Pittsburgh, what three matchups could define this Week 18 showdown between division rivals?

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Upon Further Review: What stood out from the all-22 vs. Commanders?

What stood out from the all-22 as the Browns defeated the Commanders on Sunday?

It is always more fun to write about these all-22 breakdowns after the Cleveland Browns come away with a win. And they did just that in a 24-10 victory over the Washington Commanders that featured a second half beatdown on both sides of the football for the Browns.

Much of the finer details of the game do not show up on the broadcast. What coverage defenses are in, what schemes the offenses are running, and more are not evident until the all-22 comes out. After peeking at the all-22, here are a few things that stood out from a second watch of this game.

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