Dolphins Potential Draft Target: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

The Miami Dolphins could use another versatile linebacker and Notre Dame's Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah certainly fits that description

A few names keep popping up in connection with the Miami Dolphins as we scour through the countless mock drafts popping up all around the country.

The three that keep coming up are wide receivers DeVonta Smith from Alabama and Ja'Marr Chase from LSU and Oregon tackle Penei Sewell.

Those three are seen as potential targets for the number 3 overall selection, but the one that keeps appearing in connection with the 18th overall selection is linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah from Notre Dame.

In fact, he was the most common player pegged for the Dolphins when we did our latest Mock Draft Roundup.

There's obviously a lot to like about Owusu-Koramoah, who is a unique prospect because he doesn't fit the mold of a typical linebacker.

He was a consensus All-American selection in 2020 and won the Dick Butkus Award as the top linebacker in college football.

Owusu-Koramoah is the kind of defender who could be used multiple ways, including slot corner, which certainly would make him appealing to head coach Brian Flores.

To get the lowdown on Owusu-Koramoah, we went straight to Irish Breakdown Publisher Bryan Driskell.

This was his scouting report:

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is truly the modern-day linebacker that I believe is going to become more of a trend in the National Football League. As more teams look to adapt the “position-less football” this is the kind of second level defender that gives defensive coaches so much flexibility and versatility without having to sub as much.

Owusu-Koramoah is an elite athlete with exceptional quickness, fluidity and lower body power. He is able to get to full speed in a hurry, and despite being between 210-215 pounds, Owusu-Koramoah has elite short-area quickness and explosiveness. His ability to power through ball carriers stands out, and it allows him to be a force against the run despite his lack of ideal size.

The former Notre Dame star is able to cover slots and running backs due to that aforementioned athleticism, but he also has top-notch coverage instincts. He reads routes well and plays with good angles in coverage, and his athleticism and length allows him to recover quickly even when he does make a technical or assignment mistake. He’s able to easily transition in man coverage, he covers a ton of ground in the zone and he’s an instinctive football player that has a knack for making plays. He racked up 11 tackles for loss this past season and led the Irish with three forced fumbles despite opponent after opponent game-planning to avoid him.

His lack of size limits how much in-the-box he can do pre-snap, but he can be a weapon against the run in the right defense as an off-ball or flex defender. His ability to thrive as a cover man and pass rusher is where he provides game-changing tools. His timing at the snap combines with his elite closing speed to make him a dangerous weapon as a blitzer. As long as he can hold up physically over the long haul, Owusu-Koramoah projects to be an impact defender at the next level.