Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's fall into the second round was one of the more surprising turn of events during the early portion of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Notre Dame linebacker's fall was to the benefit of the Cleveland Browns -- who selected him with the No. 52 overall pick -- but we're now getting a clearer picture as to why the prospect that was pegged by many to be a first-round talent actually dipped down the board.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Owusu-Koramoah had a heart issue come up late in the pre-draft process, which was a cause for concern for most clubs. Doctors ultimately cleared Owusu-Koramoah leading up to the draft, but that issue certainly contributed to him falling out of the first round. That said, the Browns clearly have his talent outweighing any sort of health concerns and targeted him on Day Two. The club traded up seven spots to the 52nd overall pick in a deal with Carolina to secure one of the more intriguing linebacker prospects in this draft.
While Owusu-Koramoah ultimately saw his stock fall out of the first round, Cleveland thinks quite highly of him as Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta noted that the Browns were considering him with the No. 26 overall pick.
"I think speed and instincts (were most appealing)," DePodesta said, via the official team website. "He just fits our scheme in terms of the way we want to play. He is very, very good against both the run and the pass. We think he can stay on the field the whole time. He really just fits our scheme to a T."
What makes Owusu-Koramoah such a fascinating player coming into Cleveland is his versatility. While he can be a traditional linebacker for a given defense, he also has the ability to serve as a safety. At Notre Dame, he linked up as a box safety on 32.2% of his snaps and worked as a slot corner on 51.4% of his snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. That type of versatility in coverage is something the Browns defensive brass should be excited to embrace heading into 2021 and, so long as he stays in good health, the addition of Owusu-Koramoah in the second should be looked at as a tremendous coup for the organization.
