Notre Dame football: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah proved to be a steal in 2021
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team saw Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah fall in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he proved to be a steal in Year 1 for the Cleveland Browns.
During his time with the Notre Dame football team, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah established himself as one of the premier defensive players in the country. An All-American for the Irish, he rocketed up draft boards heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, and many felt that he would end up being a top-10 pick.
However, based on a heart issue that was detected during the draft process, JOK fell out of the first round, which was one of the bigger shocks of the draft. With things cleared up, the Cleveland Browns came calling in the second round, and they have to be more than excited by the fact that he fell into their lap with the No. 52 overall selection.
As a rookie, Owusu-Koramoah had to battle through a COVID diagnosis during training camp, but he still appeared in 14 of the team’s 17 games. All told, he started 11 for the Browns, racked up over 75 tackles, and finished with two forced fumbles, four passes defended, and 1.5 sacks.
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When the Pro Football Writers of America put together their NFL All-Rookie Team for the 2021 season, there were plenty of first-round players selected. Also selected was Owusu-Koramoah, as he was one of three linebackers named, joining first-rounder Micah Parsons from Dallas, and another second-round pick in Nick Bolton from Kansas City.
When it comes to draft steals, JOK has to be one of the bigger ones of this year, because the Browns got a first-round talent in the middle of the second round. He had a tremendous impact in Year 1, and based on what we saw from him at the next level, him being an All-Pro player down the road is looking like a real possibility.