Cleveland Browns: 3 rookies with unrealistic expectations for 2021

2. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

Owusu-Koramoah was a top-15 prospect who fell all the way to pick No. 52, and the official story is this happened because of concerns over a heart issue that he was ultimately cleared of. It seems unlikely that the Browns were the only team who had access to the information that cleared him, and JOK is far too good of a player to have fallen that far. Perhaps another reason is one that will be a concern until it isn’t; his role in the NFL.

He was announced as and is listed as a linebacker, but there’s just one problem with that; he hasn’t actually done linebacker things. His college tape at Notre Dame shows a complete absence of engaging with offensive linemen, shedding blocks, or making run fits. If he’s deployed as a will linebacker right away, there will be some significant growing pains, especially on any run downs he plays. That certainly is not to say he won’t make an impact. He will; a tremendous one. He’s too athletic and modernly skilled not to.

True safety snaps are also absent from his tape, so the question remains; where exactly does he fit? That is what the team must answer in training camp. Owusu-Koramoah is probably one of the Browns 11 best defenders. It’s just a matter of figuring out how best to maximize his strengths (explosion, gap shooting, and coverage) while minimizing his weaknesses (playing in the box, taking on blocks).