Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Cleveland Browns LB

HEIGHT: 6'1 1/2"

WEIGHT: 221

POSITIVES

—Athleticism and closing speed are Owusu-Koramoah’s best traits, as he flashed legitimate 4.4 speed on film.

—Mentally, Owusu-Koramoah is able to play up to timed measurements because he has a quick trigger to identify run-pass.

—Despite being a smaller linebacker, he has a nasty streak for impact tackles that one would not typically expect for a player of his size.

—Under defensive coordinator Clark Lea, who was a linebacker coach in the previous seven seasons prior to taking Notre Dame’s coordinator job and is currently Vanderbilt’s head coach, Owusu-Koramoah was comfortable enough when the game slowed down pre-snap and was able to play bluff games as a blitzer.

—Notre Dame often used him as the first linebacker to split over a slot receiver, sticking in their base defense, similar to how former first-round pick Darron Lee was used at Ohio State.

—He understands pursuit angles very well and will be a factor as a run and chase linebacker.

NEGATIVES

—Despite having the frame of an NFL safety, he is better in coverage as a rerouting spot-dropper than as a man assignment player.

—Even at the college level, he struggled some as a dropdown Sam linebacker over the tight end, which NFL teams should take as a sign that he should be playing Will linebacker type of roles at the next level.

—His athleticism allows him to live and die as somewhat of a gambler, at times leading him to shoot the backdoor on plays in which he is not able to get home.

—His size is going to be a limiting factor for some teams, as he has very clear ways in which he “wins” and “loses” on a down-to-down basis.

2020 STATISTICS

62 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles

NOTES

—He broke his foot in 2018, causing him to miss most of his sophomore season.

—Owusu-Koramoah had a handful of Power 5 offers as a prep, initially committing to the in-state Virginia Cavaliers, but he chose to enroll at Notre Dame after a late offer came in less than a month before signing day.

OVERALL

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is similar to the Devin White, Devin Bush and Patrick Queen run and chase linebacker that has become popular in the NFL, but in the frame of a Jamal Adams. This creates a unique contrast of positives and negatives for an athletic linebacker who is clearly intelligent and athletic but does not have the prototypical “NFL size” for the position.

He may only be seen as a great fit for half of the league, but those who believe they can structure their defense around him playing multiple positions will value him as a potential Pro Bowler.

GRADE: 8.5 (Round 1)

OVERALL RANK: 14/300

POSITION RANK: LB1

PRO COMPARISON: Jamal Adams

Written by B/R NFL Scout Justis Mosqueda