Browns take Martin Emerson early in 3rd round

The Cleveland Browns selected Mississippi State cornerback Martin Emerson in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, No. 68 overall.

Emerson started 28 games for the Bulldogs, grabbing two interceptions.

He's expected to slide behind Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome on the Browns' cornerback depth chart.

Scouting profile: Martin Emerson

Emerson has seemingly flown under the radar due largely to some mediocre testing numbers, and while that's certainly a factor to consider, he's plenty fast for his size. With the way he can transition and flip his hips, the Mississippi standout doesn't have many issues turning and running with receivers getting vertical. He shows a good understanding of concepts in zone coverage, and he wins with physicality both through the route and at the catch point. Emerson will need to ensure that his playstyle doesn't result in more penalties at the next level, where there's a much smaller margin for error, but his skill set will come in handy as a boundary corner, particularly when he's used in press alignments.