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Program history: Greg Newsome II picked by Cleveland Browns in NFL Draft, Northwestern enjoys historic night
Published:
Northwestern has made program history with the 2021 NFL Draft.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II was selected in the first round on Thursday night, going No. 26 overall to the Cleveland Browns. He was the second Wildcat picked in the opening round of the NFL Draft, with offensive tackle Rashawn Slater going No. 13 to the Los Angeles Chargers.
It marks the first time in program history that Northwestern has had multiple first-round selections in the same NFL Draft. Earlier in the night, Slater became the team’s first first-round pick since 2005.
Newsome spent three seasons at Northwestern and quickly emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the B1G. Last season, he tallied 12 tackles, 7 pass break-ups and an interception as the Wildcats finished the year with a 7-2 record and a B1G West title.
In three seasons in Evanston, Newsome piled up 71 stops with 20 pass break-ups an interception, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss. His draft stock bumped up quite a bit during the 2020 college football season.
The end result was a first-round selection and program history for Northwestern.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB