Getty Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns fielded the best defense in the NFL last season, and one of the primary reasons for that doesn’t often get the recognition he probably deserves.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report on Wednesday, May 8, included cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. among the league’s top “underrated” players who will make a major impact on the league in 2024.
A third-round pick for the Browns in 2022, the 23-year-old was on the field for 863 snaps last year — 87 percent of Cleveland’s total. He was exceptional in coverage in his second professional season.
Per Pro Football Reference, Emerson allowed just 37 of 79 targets to be completed. His passer rating against was a minuscule 46.3. Frankly, the fact that Emerson wasn’t named to his first Pro Bowl last year was an almost laughable snub. If he can just back up last year’s performance, the accolades should come in 2024.
And paired with [Denzel] Ward and Greg Newsome II, the Browns will have, arguably, the best trio of cornerbacks in the NFL — and likely one of the league’s best pass defenses again.
Martin Emerson Jr. Took Browns’ Starting Outside CB Job From Greg Newsome II
GettyCornerback Greg Newsome II of the Cleveland Browns.
Emerson exploded onto the NFL scene as a rookie with 15 pass deflections across 17 games played, including just six starts. He followed up that performance 14 pass breakups and 4 INTs in 16 appearances while doubling his starts to 12 in 2023, per Pro Football Reference.
Emerson usurped Newsome in the process, a former first-round pick, as the second starting outside cornerback alongside Ward. Newsome still started 13 games last year, though he played primarily in the slot cornerback position.
The transition wasn’t bad for Newsome. On the contrary, he put up a career year with 14 pass deflections, 4 tackles for loss, 2 INTs and a defensive TD.
The Browns, in turn, picked up the fifth-year option on Newsome’s rookie deal, which keeps him under contract through 2025 and pays him $13.4 million for that campaign. Emerson, meanwhile, is entering the third season of a four-year rookie deal worth just $5.5 million total.
Martin Emerson Jr.’s Rookie Deal With Browns Represents Among Best Cornerback Values in NFL
GettyCornerback Martin Emerson Jr. of the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland does not have a fifth-year option on Emerson’s contract that it can exercise next offseason, as he is a former third-round pick. Because of that, Emerson will hit unrestricted free agency in March 2026, unless the Browns use the franchise tag to keep him for that season.
Doing so will cost Cleveland the average annual salary of the five highest-paid players at the cornerback position. Emerson must continue to play extremely well to prove himself worthy of such a pricey investment, even on just a one-year deal. Until then, however, he remains one of the better secondary values across the entire league given his production-to-cost ratio.
The Browns can also keep Emerson on the roster by offering him an extension after next season, or sometime before free agency officially opens in spring 2026. That may be easier said than done, however, as Cleveland has, in many ways, mortgaged its future to pry open a Super Bowl window over the next couple of years.