Martin

Emerson

Emerson said he has been “cleared to do everything on the football field” after missing the 2025 season following an Achilles tendon rupture suffered last July. Emerson, 25, spent 2022-25 with the Browns, who drafted him with a third-round pick. He notched 20 pass breakups and four interceptions in his three healthy seasons.

So it was a good visit today. The Saints needed veteran help, having never filled the void of Alontae Taylor after Taylor signed with the Titans this offseason. Quincy Riley and Isaac Yiadom are also candidates to start for the Saints this year.

He visited with the Texans before the draft. Emerson tore his Achilles before the start of last season, so his age-26 season will likely yield a one-year prove-it deal. Emerson has the talent to be an NFL starter if he’s fully recovered, so his decision might come down to playing time and guaranteed money.

Emerson missed all of 2025 due to a torn Achilles, but the 25-year-old corner was a key contributor for the Browns before going down. From 2023 to 2024, Emerson started 27 of 33 games for the Browns, breaking up 19 passes while picking off four, and also tallying 139 tackles over that span. Emerson is a former third-round pick who has played primarily on the outside for his career.

If true, the Browns corner would likely be lost for the season. Nik Needham and 2023 fifth-rounder Cameron Mitchell will vie to fill the role that Emerson leaves behind after starting 27 games over the past two years. It’s possible that Greg Newsome will move outside in early-down sets. Emerson was in the final year of his rookie deal and will likely be a prove-it deal candidate in 2026 if he misses the year.

This one has the makings of a devastating injury for the fourth-year corner, who has started 27 games over the past two years for the Browns. Nik Needham and 2023 fifth-rounder Cameron Mitchell are among the corners lower on the depth chart that would compete for a starting role if Emerson is lost for the season.

Emerson was briefly labeled questionable in the first half before officially being ruled out. Only Grant Delpit has played more snaps for the Browns’ defense this season, though Emerson has been a liability in coverage. He’s week to week.

The second-year pro has been an every-snap player this season, performing admirably on the outside. Hopefully he is dealing with “just” a deep bruise and not a break.

It is the Browns’ first pick of the draft. Emerson (6’2/200) quickly earned playing time as a freshman, but his coming-out party was his sophomore campaign. To cap things off, his final season in Starksville featured some regression, with only two PBUs and career-worst marks in yards (175), touchdowns (three), and passer rating allowed (100.6). Emerson has all the size and length you want in an outside corner, and he is quick to read the receivers’ release and has the fluidity in his hips to run with them. Where he struggles is with the ball in the air. He has only one career pick. He nevertheless has enough potential to be a future No. 2.

Emerson (6'2/200) has come a long way since joining Mississippi as a three-star recruit from the 2019 class. Emerson was the Bulldogs’ highest-graded defensive player on Pro Football Focus this season, posting a an overall grade of 78.4, and a coverage grade of 78.8 which ranked 39th on PFF.com. This season, Emerson started every game for the Bulldogs, and totaled 49 tackles along with two pass breakups. He was targeted on 50 passes this season, and allowed 29 receptions for 358 yards and three touchdowns. For his career, Emerson has allowed 74 receptions on 131 targets for 871 yards and six touchdowns, surrendering a quarterback rating of 88.9.