Cleveland Browns Comprehensive NFL Draft Review: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB Notre Dame

The Cleveland Browns traded up to the 52nd pick of the 2021 NFL Draft to pick one of the most unique defenders this class had to offer in Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Looking both at historical data as well as his film, projecting his future with the Browns.

The Cleveland Browns made a trade with the Carolina Panthers to move up from 59th pick to 52nd pick to select Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, from Notre Dame. The exchange included the Browns sending the 89th pick in the third round to the Panthers for 113th pick in the fourth round, which they would later trade to the Houston Texans.

The Browns would later send the 113th pick to the Detroit Lions along with their seventh round pick to get the 153th pick and a 2022 fourth round pick, selecting Tony Fields II from West Virginia, who likely pairs with Owusu in terms of the role they play within the defense.

Owusu was a unanimous All-American in the 2020 season and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He also won the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker in the country.

Athletic Profile

Age: 21 (Born November 4th, 1999)

Height: 6'1 1/2"

Weight: 221 lbs

Arm Length: 33"

40-yard dash: DNP

Broad Jump: 124"

Vertical Jump: 36.5"

3-cone: 6.81

Shuttle: 4.15

Bench Press: DNP

Tremendous speed and agility. His explosion is the weakest area of his profile, but it doesn't prevent him from succeeding in the NFL. His arm length really stands out as that's beneficial for his position on defense. Owusu is also quite young.

He was flagged for a heart issue in terms of medical checks, but was cleared by doctors, so other than being noted, it doesn't appear to be an actual issue. It's worth noting that at his medical recheck, Owusu weighed around 215 pounds, which suggests he likely drank a bunch of water to get up to 221 for his Pro Day. So while some are hoping he can get up to 225 or 230, he may need to 220 comfortably first.

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Production

2019 (Best Year)

Tackles: 52 (10.9%)

2020 (Last Year)

Tackles: 42 (9.3%)

As a linebacker, Owusu's college production is solid but not spectacular. He has enough to enable him to potentially be a Pro Bowl player but he is short of the average at the position.

Jim Cobern @Jimetrics

Game Tape

Owusu played a rover position for the Fighting Irish that had him operate from the slot more than anything, though he does have experience playing in the box as well. Regardless of where he's playing, his speed, agility and range stand out, but his role often determines how much help he requires from his teammates.

As a slot defender, Owusu is incredibly dynamic. Athletic enough to run with and cover wide receivers, does an excellent job maintaining outside contain while keeping his outside arm free and his acceleration is difficult to account for as a blitzer.

In addition, Owusu is outstanding in the flat. He can also be effective in the hook/curl zone, but the flat showcases his range in two ways. 

First, he's athletic enough to run with receivers going outside while being able to keep an eye on the quarterback if they try to throw it outside. Consistent getting a jam, he can ride opponents out to the sideline and cut them off while keeping himself alive in the play even when they go deep.

Second, if quarterbacks try to scramble to his side, he's got the closing speed to stop them from picking up easy first downs and can be downright terrifying, because he also is a highlight hitter that can lower the boom.

One of the areas where he might be at his best is taking away the outside running lanes, then being able to double back and chase down the ball carrier he just forced into his teammates. His acceleration and speed allow him to get extra opportunities to get back into plays or pursue the ball down the field.

Occasionally, he will allow himself to get pinned inside, which will yield huge holes to his side, but he's extremely impressive operating from the slot or as an over hang defender.

In the middle of the field, he's fast enough and quick enough to make offensive linemen nervous. If they can catch him, he's in trouble because he is so much smaller than they are, but he's quick enough to slip blocks and does everything possible to make sure he's taking on half or even less of the man.

Those long arms are great for tackling, but they really help him leverage his way out of blockers catching him at an angle. He's slippery and stays engaged until the whistle is dead.

In the passing game, he gets to his drops quickly and puts himself in position to play down hill or work laterally almost immediately, which enables him to compete on a number of plays.

Against the run, he processes information and reacts quickly, following his keys and there are times when he beats the play to the spot, displaying explosive speed into the backfield and mucking up the works even if he doesn't make the tackle.

There are numerous examples where Owusu makes a huge play and his defensive line should get a significant amount of credit. Often able to move opponents out of the way or at least keep him clean, it allows him to play the part of the star of the defense  with a clear path to the ball.

None of that takes away from the impact Owusu has, but it does provide a blueprint of sorts on to maximize his ability.

As a tackler, Owusu can range from spectacular to infuriating. At his best, he takes advantage of those long arms and wraps up, securing the tackle while placing one hand directly on the ball when ball carriers don't tuck it. He also flashes an uppercut strike.

Owusu is always conscious of the ball and looking to rip it out and cause a turnover, forcing five fumbles in two seasons. Occasionally, he's too focused on the ball and doesn't secure the tackle. He will also go for some highlight hits dropping his shoulder which can have explosive results and produce devastating hits. To his credit, he never leads with his head, but isn't wrapping up either.

There are also plenty of missed tackles and they all have one issue in common. Owusu has a bad habit of leaving his feet. He'll leap at opponents and just give up his feet too easily, not running them through contact. When wrong launching himself, he can't adjust for a miscalculation and doesn't have the strength from that position to drag them down.

Owusu could be far more consistent breaking down and running through contact in addition to wrapping up with his long arms. 

Fit, Usage and Projection

The Browns insist on calling him a weak side linebacker, but it's difficult to imagine they don't plan to utilize him in more roles than that, particularly in how impressive he is operating from the slot. To this point, the Browns want to play with fewer linebackers on the field, which would seemingly limit the opportunities Owusu would have.

However, it immediately stands out how he could contribute as a dime backer as well as obvious passing situations where the Browns want to stay in nickel.

His prowess in the slot and his ability to defend the flats stand out as valuable for the Browns. Regardless of what they want to call his position, they are a team who wants to have more coverage ability as well as having a scheme that is more suited to stop the increasing number of mobile quarterbacks not only in the AFC North but the conference.

Typically, for Notre Dame, Owusu was defending the flat to the quarterback's throwing hand. As an over hang defender off the edge, he can immediately prevent roll outs to his side, limiting their ability to extend the play. In the flat, he has the speed and range to come up and stop them. If the quarterback is not careful, with extreme prejudice at times.

The Browns have a defensive line designed to be able to protect their second level defenders, which would include Owusu. That may help him enjoy success the same way the defensive line of the Fighting Irish did, because NFL offensive linemen are smarter and faster to be able to combat him. If the defensive line the Browns have constructed is successful, they can dictate as opposed to needing to react to the offense, potentially putting opponents on their heels immediately.

They can use him as a blitzer and with the amount of threats they have, he could end up unblocked and on the ball almost instantly at points. He doesn't have to get to the ball to make an impact and be part of gap sound blitz scheme which could generate opportunities for teammates.

It's unlikely that Owusu will be covering many wide receivers in man coverage in the NFL. Running backs, he should be fine. Tight ends will be a process given how much weight and height he gives up to some of those matchups. Regardless of the coverage, Owusu consistently gets a jam and looks more than capable to contest crossers.

Owusu going to contribute on special teams, at least initially. He has experience in that capacity and there are too many places where he can be a huge asset. The more playing time he gets, they may pull back a little bit, but in big situations, he's going to be out there.

Regardless of the position in which they categorize Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, he has the capacity to be a special player and although he does come in a unique package with his size and speed, if the Browns understand how to take advantage of everything he can do, he has the potential to be a multiple Pro Bowl player.

The Rest of the Browns 2021 Draft Class

Greg Newsome II, CB Northwestern

Anthony Schwartz, WR Auburn

James Hudson, OT Cincinnati

Tommy Togiai, DT Ohio State

Tony Fields II, LB West Virginia

Richard LeCounte III, S Georgia

Demetric Felton, RB UCLA