The Cleveland Browns believe they got two first-round picks with cornerback Greg Newsome II and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The team is very excited about what the two will bring to their defense.

While the Browns have added a lot of talent to their defense, it is the presence of the two high draft picks that have defensive coordinator Joe Woods excited. The front office has given Woods a lot to work with going into 2021 after spending much of their first season together putting resources mostly toward the offensive side of the ball.

This offseason, the defensive makeover includes the additions of Jadeveon Clowney, Takk McKinley, Malik Jackson, Anthony Walker, Troy Hill and John Johnson III in free agency. In the NFL draft, Newsome and Owusu-Koramoah were joined by Tommy Togiai, Tony Fields II and Richard LeCounte III.

The defense also gets Andrew Billings back from the COVID-19 opt-out list and Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit return from missing 2020 due to injuries.

“They just bring a different element to the team,” he said. “It’s been good having both of those guys involved.”

The “different element” that Woods described is fitting for the pair of rookies. Newsome has a little more size than Denzel Ward and Hill at cornerback and more speed and quickness than Williams. Like Hill, Newsome has excited coaches that he can play inside and out.

Owusu-Koramoah has the speed to match up in coverage with running backs and tight ends, as described in the piece, but has shown enough power to still be effective in the running game.

Relying on rookies to be season-long game-changers isn’t generally a good idea. With all of the additions, and returns, for the Cleveland defense, the Browns won’t have to. Instead, Newsome and Owusu-Koramoah can be utilized to their strengths and minimize areas where their youth creates weaknesses.

Having access to “a different element” from those two rookies could give Cleveland the kind of depth needed to sustain a long run to the Super Bowl in 2021 and beyond.