Three Cornerbacks The Cleveland Browns Should Pursue Prior to Week One

After three preseason games for the Cleveland Browns , it's clear that general manager Andrew Berry may have to make some extra moves before the team's week one matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

On offense, the running back room still lacks an additional playmaker with rookie Quinshon Judkins remaining unsigned.

But despite Cleveland's cornerback room once being a strong suit for the organization, injuries have completely decimated the depth at the position group.

Unfortunately for the Browns, the market for quality cornerbacks becomes slim with just a week away from kickoff.

But there still remains a chance that Berry could find a way to land an additional cornerback for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Here are three cornerbacks that Cleveland should pursue to bolster the secondary unit ahead of week one.

Asante Samuel, Free Agent Out of all three of the cornerbacks on this list, free agent Asante Samuel Jr.

would be the ideal addition out of the bunch.

As a former second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Samuel played a key role in the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive attack over the past four seasons.

During that stretch, the 25-year-old standout totaled 163 tackles, 35 pass breakups and six interceptions, proving to be a legitimate NFL starter.

Despite his impressive resume, Samuel remains unsigned due to medicals, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Obviously, medical issues could be a huge concern for a team that is currently dealing with a fair share of their own.

However, his potential when healthy is perfect with Ward on the other side of the field.

Samuel has recently taken visits to the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, which means Berry must act quickly if he wants to land the young talent.

Josh Hayes, Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the deepest cornerback rooms in the NFL heading into this season.

Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum and Tykee Smith are projected to be the starters heading into this season.

And with the organization selecting multiple cornerback in the 2025 Draft, there's a good chance that Josh Hayes could be available.

Hayes, a former sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, began to establish himself last season in a crowded room, ending with a PFF defensive grade of 64.5 on 264 snaps.

While he may not have highly-regarded resume like Samuel, pursuing a young cornerback that has shown flashes could be a cheaper option for the Browns.

Samuel Womack III, Indianapolis Colts Continuing with the trend of young cornerbacks, Indianapolis Colts' Samuel Womack III is another intriguing option for Cleveland to solve their secondary issues.

Last season, the former 2022 fifth-round pick stepped up in a huge way for the Colts as they dealt with injuries throughout the course of the year.

Womack finished with a PFF defensive grade of 71.4, along with a 71.3 coverage grade in 2024.

However, Colts Wire's Paul Bretl mentioned the 26-year-old as a potential cut candidate in a recent article, claiming that Womack could be squeezed out by a healthy cornerback room.

"Womack is dealing with an injury, which adds uncertainty to the decision," Bretl wrote .

"He also played a lot of snaps for the Colts in 2024 and had really good ball production.

But as camp went on and the Colts got healthier at cornerback with Brents and Jaylon Jones returning, along with the addition of Xavien Howard, Womack seemed to get squeezed out." If Berry could pull off a late-round pick swap for Womack, he would be a solid addition with a decent amount of experience.

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