4 Cleveland Browns who needed OTAs to improve

1. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Linebacker

After many had Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (JOK) as a first-round talent, a late heart concern allowed him to fall to pick No. 52 in round two, where the Cleveland Browns quickly swept him up. Since then, the heart concern appears to be a non-factor, but only time will tell.

Why are these OTAs so important for JOK? There are big expectations that he will be an instant impact player for the Browns. Having that pressure will be difficult, no doubt, but JOK will be up to the challenge and will put in the work to deliver.

JOK will likely start out as the swing piece of the defense. In the true 4-2-5 scheme the Browns will field John Johnson, Ronnie Harrison, and Grant Delpit at safety, and in running situations the team will go to a 4-3 will linebackers Walker, Phillips, and JOK on the field.

The Browns don’t have a ton of talent at the linebacker position, but with no injuries, JOK is in the perfect situation. He won’t be forced to play 90 percent of the snaps right away, and he can grow into the second linebacker position throughout the year.

Linebacker is a tough transition from college to the NFL, especially for an undersized guy like JOK. Every rep he gets will help him transition to the physicality and strength of NFL-caliber linebackers. Trying to wrap up Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in camp will also be a huge benefit for his development.

Rookie first-round pick Greg Newsome just misses this list as the cornerback position is far easier to transition than the players mentioned above. I don’t want to make it seem easy, but more that linebacker, defensive line, and hybrid safety will be far more difficult.