Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Tracking As Mid-To-Late First-Round Pick
Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah kept his status as the Irish’s top draft prospect this year without a college All-Star game appearance.
Owusu-Koramoah did not participate in the last week’s Senior Bowl or any other postseason game, but maintains his status as a clear first-round pick in the eyes of most analysts. Two years of production and traits on game tape are a satisfactory sample.
“The things you look for are athletic ability and position-specific traits that translate to the next level” TheDraftScout.com’s Matt Miller said last month. “The athletic ability is obviously there – 39-inch vert, 10’3” broad jump, Notre Dame says they’ve clocked him at over 20 miles an hour [sprinting]. That’s pretty exceptional.”
In his final season with the Irish, Owusu-Koramoah posted a hearty stat line as Notre Dame’s rover linebacker. He had 62 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups, two recoveries and an interception. He returned one of the fumbles for a touchdown. All told, it valued him into first-round discussion.
“He has to play in coverage, play in space, he has to break down and make tackles,” Miller said. “There’s a lot in his game that definitely translates to the NFL. I could watch him play and say, ‘This is what he’s going to go do on Sundays.’ It’s the same thing. That’s what makes him really special and a lot of fun to watch. You definitely notice the athleticism and then you see the football IQ and all the other pieces that go into that puzzle too.”
Recent mock drafts have pegged Owusu-Koramoah as a mid-to-late first-round pick. NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah each placed him as the No. 17 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders, a popular projected landing spot for him lately.
No matter where he appears, the reasons for his inclusion are the same: versatility, athleticism and explosiveness.
“Owusu-Koramoah is a dynamic athlete at the second level of the defense,” Jeremiah wrote. “He can cover in the slot if needed and he's an excellent blitzer.”
Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey had him lower, at No. 26 to the Cleveland Browns and the second off-ball linebacker drafted – Penn State’s Micah Parsons was first. CBS Sports Ryan Wilson mocked him to the New Orleans Saints at No. 28 and as the third player taken at his position, behind Parsons and Tulsa’s Zaven Collins.
“His 82.8 coverage grade on over 200 snaps in the slot this past season at Notre Dame is not something you see very often from a linebacker,” Linsey wrote.
Meanwhile, Yahoo! Sports’ Mark Schofield’s most recent mock was an outlier. He slotted Owusu-Koramoah as the No. 8 pick to the Carolina Panthers and as the second defensive player drafted.
“He was asked to do a lot in Notre Dame’s defense, from playing in space to playing in the box and even on the edge,” Schofield wrote. “He is athletic enough to handle man coverage responsibilities and can even be an effective pass rusher on blitzes and as an edge player.
"Some might be wary of his side if they view him as a traditional off-ball linebacker, but his athleticism and versatility make him a fit for modern NFL thinking on the defensive side of the ball.”
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