Heart issue revealed as the reason for Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah slide

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was expected to be a first-round pick but slid to the Cleveland Browns at No. 52, and a heart issue may have been why he slid

During the 2021 NFL Draft, Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had an unexpected slide as he fell into the second round despite being a near-unanimous first-round talent.

Eventually, the Cleveland Browns made a trade to stop his slide as they jumped up seven spots to secure his rights at No. 52 overall.

For Browns fans, they were ecstatic to fill a major need — and to get a first-round talent that late. Still, many were asking why he was still available — and why so many teams continued to pass on him.

On Monday, it was revealed why. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted out that Owusu-Koramoah was discovered to have a heart issue — which came to light late in the draft process. The good news, according to Schefter, is that JOK was cleared by doctors but that wasn’t enough for some teams as they were still concerned and shied away.

Clearly, the Cleveland staff felt comfortable with his condition as they not only used their second-round pick on him, but also swapped one of their third-round picks for a fourth-rounder in the process.

With Owusu-Koramoah, we have no word on what exactly the problem was but there’s always a risk with a player when talking about any type of heart issue. Having said that, this is still a gamble worth taking as his ceiling is incredibly high and he fills a massive need.

Here’s to hoping he remains healthy and is able to continue to live out his dream for the Browns.