'A starter anywhere else': Browns cornerback A.J. Green overcomes draft disappointment

BEREA − Going into the 2020 draft, A.J. Green might as well have been wearing a scarlet number around his neck.

Feeling like all eyes in Lucas Oil Stadium were on him, Green, an Oklahoma State cornerback, clocked a disappointing 4.62 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. In less than five seconds, his future changed.

Green’s trainer, Mo Wells, had expected Green to run 4.4 or in the low 4.5s. In the wake of the combine workout, NFL.com projected him as a fourth- or fifth-round pick, his prospect grade befitting an average backup or special teamer.

Forgotten was the fact that Green received the Barry Sanders Award as a sophomore at Oklahoma State in 2017, given by the coaches to a player who made the greatest contribution with the least recognition. Forgotten were his 147 tackles, 21 passes defensed, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and one interception return for a touchdown during his 40 college games.

Green went undrafted, but he was undaunted.

“At the end of the day I know what I’m capable of. I believe in myself,” Green said Saturday. “If 10 people turn their back on me, I’m going to still have myself. … I knew I was way faster than that, I knew I could cover.

“I felt like I put the stuff on film, put the stuff on tape … The whole track meet thing was over. It was getting back on the football field.”

Fortunately for Green, the Browns felt the same way. They swooped in after the draft and offered Green $145,000 guaranteed, an unprecedented amount according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

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Spending the bulk of 2020 on the practice squad, he played in three games, including the AFC Wild Card game at Pittsburgh. Green played in 12 games with one start in 2021. He totaled 21 tackles, two forced fumbles, an interception and six passes defensed.

Through nine days of training camp, Green has drawn praise. Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward is on the active/physically unable to perform list with a foot injury suffered the final day of June minicamp. After seeing Green get more reps, cornerback Greg Newsome II, the 26^th overall pick in 2021, gave Green the ultimate compliment Friday.

“Man, he's amazing. I said it last year and I'll say it again, I feel like if he wasn't on this team, he can go and be a starter anywhere else in the league. He's that good,” Newsome said. “He's that talented. And he's been having a great camp. Whenever we need him to be on that field, he's always there, ready to go and we don't miss a beat.”

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Browns coach Kevin Stefanski tried to remember how Green, 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, made an early impression.

“The first thing you notice with him is just physical ability and physical size. He has length and really good ball skills, that shows up in practice,” Stefanski said. “He’s very competitive around the ball. Right from the jump, he got in there on special teams and was making plays in almost every phase. That is one way to certainly get the coaches’ attention.”

Stefanski said the Browns are waiting to see if Green can take the next step in his third season. But when he thought back to Green as a rookie, Stefanski said the Browns did not weigh his combine 40 heavily.

“We organizationally, I know I do, you look at that number, but that’s not playing speed,” Stefanski said. “And you have ways to measure playing speed nowadays. There’s so many guys that have played football for a long time who had quote-unquote bad 40 times. I don’t pay too much attention to it.

“Obviously when a guy runs fast you notice it, you can see it, but you want to see that show up in games and you want to see that show up in how they play. Do they play fast? Do they react? I’ll be honest, I’m not even aware what A.J.’s 40 number is.”

The Browns traded nickel cornerback Troy Hill to the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason and Green is among those, along with Newsome and rookie Martin Emerson Jr., taking snaps inside. Green has never played that spot, but showing versatility could help him.

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“The thing that really sticks out to me with A.J. is his ability to go in and learn and the situation's never too big for him,” pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jeff Howard said Saturday. “There's been a couple times when we've had DBs down and he jumps into the game and does it at a high level, plays against top-level guys.

“He's very diligent, very coachable. You really only have to tell him something once and he's going to be able to go out and get it done. We've been giving him snaps inside and outside and he's handled those pretty well.”

To make sure of that, Green said he’s sought help from slot cornerback Chris Harris Jr., a Tulsa, Oklahoma native who went undrafted out of the University of Kansas. Still seeking a free-agent deal, Harris made four Pro Bowls and played 11 years in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.

Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods spent 2015-18 with the Broncos, the last two as defensive coordinator, so Harris knows his system well.

“I reached out to him and sent him some of my film to nitpick some things and help me as a whole,” Green said of Harris. “I shoot him a text like, ‘What do you think about this technique or what should I do here?’ Or I call him or he shoots me some of his film, something like that, so it’s a pretty good process.”

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Green’s teammates have noticed how far he’s come.

“He could be a starter on a lot of teams in this league, and I just like being out there competing with him,” free safety John Johnson II said. “We talk a lot … make sure that we communicate, overly communicate.

“I love his game. I love his ability. I love his level of competition, so he’s a good teammate.”

Green appreciates such comments from players and coaches.

“It means a lot,” Green said. “Day after day, year after year I have to come in here, I have to prove myself. Especially being undrafted, you always feel you have to prove yourself every day.

“I just work, put my best foot forward, good competition in this building everywhere. I want to step up to the plate and I want to show that I can play with the best.”

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns A.J. Green makes mark in crowded secondary