A second round pick out of Notre Dame in 2021, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has more than lived up to his draft status. During his first two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, he proved to be a solid linebacker capable of using his speed to make plays from sideline-to-sideline.
As good as he was during that time, it was nothing compared to what he did in 2023. In his first year under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, JOK developed into a game-changing weapon.
JOK recorded 101 tackles, 3.5 sacks, broke up six passes, and had two interceptions in a Pro Bowl campaign. Where he made the largest impact, however, was behind the line of scrimmage. Whether it was shutting down the run or blowing up a screen pass, Owusu-Koramoah finished with 20 tackles for a loss.
Even with that huge impact, it wasn’t enough for the 24-year-old to make PFF’s Top 25 Under 25 list.
JOK will turn 25 in November, but the list states players under the age when the season kicks off are eligible. To be fair, there are some highly talented players on the list including Amon-Ra St. Brown, Suace Gardner, and Kyle Hamilton. There are others on the list who simply haven’t had the same impact as JOK, with Kyle Pitts (No. 25) standing out as the prime example.
Pitts has the talent to be one of the top tight ends in the NFL but hasn’t lived up to his potential yet. JOK, on the other hand, has developed into a leader on one of the most dangerous defenses in the NFL.
In the end, the rankings are for fun and mean little in the grand scheme of things. It’s also hard to rank players when they play different positions. Having said that, it’s always fun to check out such lists and it’s nice when a player gets recognized for their development — and JOK should be recognized.