ESPN's Todd McShay Mocks Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to Broncos at Pick 9

Is this a pick Broncos Country could get behind?

With the 2020 regular season (mercifully) finally coming to a close for the Denver Broncos, it’s time for everyone’s favorite time of year — mock draft season! While there is a bit of tongue-in-cheek in that comment, as it would be much more fun to discuss an upcoming playoff game for Denver than the alternative, the reality is, this team is still on the outside looking in when it comes to contending for a Super Bowl.

Does Denver have the right man coaching the team in Vic Fangio? Is Drew Lock the quarterback to lead his teammates against the Patrick Mahomes and now Justin Herbert regimes going forward? 

The questions and possibilities are wide open now that John Elway is stepping down… or up… or sideways…in a new role for the Broncos’ front office. Either way, with the Broncos having just ‘earned’ the No. 9 pick in the NFL draft, the speculation on what direction the Broncos should go with their first-round selection is just beginning.

To really kick off the #DraftSZN, ESPN’s Todd McShay released his first official mock draft of the 2021 cycle. While it seems like the quarterback debate surrounding the No. 9 pick for the Broncos is only going to grow as the offseason progresses, in McShay’s first mock, the Broncos selected the organization’s first defensive player in the top two rounds of the draft since Bradley Chubb in 2018. Here's McShay's pick and rationale. 

9. Denver Broncos: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | ILB | Notre Dame

"Still no Justin Fields? It's a legitimate possibility and something I considered heavily here, but I think Denver ultimately will give Drew Lock another year to prove he's the guy. Cornerback is another position to watch, especially with Alabama's Patrick Surtain II still out there. But I love Owusu-Koramoah's range, instincts and suddenness. He found his way into just about every statistical category in 2020, including racking up 11 tackles for loss."

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Analysis 

Owusu-Koramoah is a fun player to watch on film without a doubt. Given his ability to play sideline-to-sideline in pursuit against the run and quick pass game as well as the ability to line up in the slot against tight ends, he is one of those versatile chess-piece type defenders that many teams are looking to add to their defenses to help cover pass-catching threats at running back and tight end, as well as mobile quarterbacks.

Owusu-Koramoah would bring a level of athleticism that the Broncos defense has desperately needed on the second level for quite some time. While there isn’t a single linebacker or safety in the NFL that could completely slow down the duo of elite tight ends the AFC West currently has in Travis Kelce and Darren Waller (that’s really more team effort, defensive depth, and scheme) Owusu-Koramoah could help close the gap and offer some reinforcements in how Fangio and Ed Donatell can limit middle-of-the-field and on-the-hash-marks spacing weapons in the passing game.

Owusu-Koramoah also displays good instincts on defense. Not often taking missteps or slow to process plays, he matches his reads with explosiveness to cover ground and snuff out plays against the spread attack like not many players at the college level.

Owusu-Koramoah would also be a good weapon for the Broncos pass rush as well as he was lined up on the edge where he can flare into coverage or stress an offensive tackle with his speed in a blitz. 

Measurables

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Owusu-Koramoah is a really good prospect possessing tools many teams will covet. However, how does he fit what Fangio has done historically on defense?

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds (unofficial until the Combine) Owusu-Koramoah is going to be a hard fit in replacing the likes of a Josey Jewell or Alexander Johnson for the Fangio defense. Whether in 3-4 base of any sort of subpackage, the Broncos rely on their linebackers to come up, take on blockers, and make plays in the box or near the line of scrimmage. 

Scheme Fit

Notre Dame didn’t really ask Owusu-Koramoah to do that too often and given his limited size, that is no surprise. Given the multiplicity Fangio demands from his safeties, one might think 'Fine, then Owusu-Koramoah can replace one of Justin Simmons or Kareem Jackson down the line', but given how limited Owusu-Koramoah has been playing in that deep third of the field, that may be perhaps a bit of a stretch. 

JOK might be able to do it, but his skill-set doesn’t match the match quarters/two-deep safety shells Fangio employs quite often. Unlike the dichotomous free safety to strong safety pair used by more Cover 1 or Cover 3 safety duos (a classic example would be Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor), Fangio has used two similar safeties that are asked to do similar things. 

Yes, they come down and play some slot and box reps, which Owusu-Koramoah could be used in, but he’s not a clean fit as a replacement for either of Denver’s starting safeties. On top of being a questionable fit to the Fangio defense, who no doubt would be able to still utilize Owusu-Koramoah somehow, despite him being a somewhat murky fit in the Broncos’ current defensive scheme, the conversation of positional value should come into play. 

Given how both the off-ball linebacker and safety positions don’t stack up to other ‘value’ positions such as edge rusher, cornerback, tackle, wide receiver, and (of course) quarterback, just how good does Owusu-Koramoah have to be at the next level to justify the ninth overall pick?

I would love to see Owusu-Koramoah go to a 4-3 base defense that utilizes more Cover 1 or Cover 3 looks. Much like how Jamal Adams is used as a strong safety for the Seattle Seahawks, this sort of defense would limit how much Owusu-Koramoah is obligated to take on unobstructed offensive linemen in the running (and screen) game as a stack linebacker. 

This would allow Owusu-Koramoah to play more of a ‘robber’ role; think more like T.J. Ward in the Wade Phillips defense. These deficiencies can also be 'hidden' in a 4-3 defense as a 'Will' (weakside LB) that could mimic a 4-2-5 look, similar to how the Broncos employed Will Parks down the stretch as the de facto slot corner/safety. However, this is a lot of projection for a No. 9 overall pick.

Bottom Line

Owusu-Koramoah could very well end up the Broncos’ selection at nine overall, but he simply does not seem like the cleanest fit for Fangio's defense. Maybe Fangio will be so tired of getting beaten by opposing tight ends and the lack of speed from the middle of his defense that he switches things up. 

Maybe Owusu-Koramoah shocks us all and comes to the combine at 230-plus pounds and competes in the drills (don’t trust the weight of players if they do not weigh in and test…). However, those are enough questions for me to not be sold with Owusu-Koramoah at nine overall. 

If Denver did trade down and he was still on the board, the conversation shifts — even as not the cleanest projection to the current defensive scheme, sometimes the talent is simply too tantalizing to pass up. Top 10? I'm not so sure. Back half of the first round? Perhaps.

Mock draft season is here and all the joys that come with it. Instead of getting your head in the muck being upset that these mocks 'never turn out right' instead enjoy the process and think about how each prospect as a puzzle piece fits into the final picture trying to be made. 

Owusu-Koramoah may not be a perfect fit, but he’s definitely an enticing athletic possibility for Fangio and the Broncos defense sitting at No. 9 overall.

Follow Nick on Twitter @NickKendellMHH and @MileHighHuddle.