Notre Dame Football: JOK projected to start for the Cleveland Browns
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame Football team is losing a leader on defense in Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, but the Cleveland Browns are certainly getting a good one.
During the 2021 NFL Draft, the Notre Dame Football program was well-represented, as nine players came off the board, making the Irish the most-drafted program in history. Expecting to be a top pick in the draft, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah saw himself fall outside of the first round after a heart issue was diagnosed during the draft process.
While the diagnosis turned out to be nothing, it still caused JOK to fall, making him one of the more sought-after players going into Day 2. He actually landed in a perfect spot, as he was picked by the Cleveland Browns, who could be a Super Bowl contender in 2021.
Notre Dame Football star projected to start as a rookie
Recently, Gregg Rosenthal from NFL.com put together a projection of the starting lineups for each NFL team for the 2021 season. For the Cleveland Browns, the roster looks stacked on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, where they brought in a ton of talent on all three levels this offseason.
One noticeable name listed as a starter for the 2021 campaign was rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the team’s second-round pick. In the piece, Rosenthal speaks to the versatility that JOK will bring to the Cleveland defense, and for good reason, as he was one of the better coverage players in the country last season.
For the Irish, JOK was an All-American, winning the Butkus Award, and earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was a constant for a defense that was one of the best in the country, helping the Irish to their second College Football Playoff appearance in the last three seasons.
With Cleveland, JOK is expected to play all over the field due to his versatility, and while he will have some growing pains as a rookie, his talent is going to shine through. Remember, this is a guy who was considered a top-10 pick during the draft process, so the Browns got an absolute steal at No. 52 overall.
When all is said and done, I believe JOK will be in the running for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and will help lead the Browns on a deep playoff run. He will have a chip on his shoulders as a rookie, and that is bad news for the rest of the AFC North.