What Can Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah do for Browns Defense?
The Cleveland Browns selected one of the more unique prospects in this draft class in 6'1 1/2" 221 pound Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah from Notre Dame. Perhaps entirely semantics, the Browns front office insists he's a linebacker, but it's really difficult to believe he's not more than that, even if takes him to get there.
For Notre Dame, where Owusu played rover, he lined up in the slot (680 snaps) more often than in the box (433) according to Pro Football Focus. The Browns, meanwhile, play their often two linebackers almost exclusively in the box. In order to play Owusu in the slot and still maintain gap integrity, they would basically have to put another linebacker on the field in the box, which is something they at least say they don't want to do.
Owusu thrives with a runway in front of him. He flies downhill to attack the opponent and the less he needs to correct his angle, the more explosive he can be. To this point, Owusu is not great at taking on contact, which is fine at linebacker in this defense so long as he's protected by the defensive line they have constructed.
The addition of Jadeveon Clowney looks even more prudent with Owusu in the mix. Still, as Patrick Queen showed with his struggles for the Baltimore Ravens last year as a rookie at middle linebacker, it's easier said than done.
Owusu most closely resembles Malcolm Smith of players that are on the Browns roster. Smith played 559 snaps on defense (51.86 percent) as largely a coverage focused linebacker in 2020, though part of the reason he played as much as he did was due to injuries. Perhaps the Browns are content to have Owusu play in that role initially while letting him grow into more on his own schedule.
If the Browns want to get Owusu on the field more, it's much easier to accomplish if he plays as a third safety, something defensive coordinator Joe Woods has been talking about in recent weeks. That also most closely resembles the role Owusu played at Notre Dame.
None of this prevents Owusu from playing in the box. Karl Joseph and Ronnie Harrison both played in the box at points last year, operating basically as a linebacker and disrupting the opponent. NFL.com even compared Owusu to Derwin James.
It's also not easy to simply project Owusu into a full time starting role as a linebacker.
For starters, the Browns really like Jacob Phillips, who is a weak side linebacker, the position Owusu would play. He came out at 229 pounds last year. A pair of knee injuries largely wiped out his rookie season, but he impressed the Browns early with his ability to process information, read and react accordingly. As he prepares for year two, the hope is he has added strength to his frame, whether or not that necessarily comes with additional weight.
Along with Anthony Walker at middle linebacker, that gives the Browns the size to take on the run inside. That might be all the more reason to put Owusu is out in the slot. He can fly around and make tackles, blitz or operate in a coverage role, which is exactly what he did in South Bend. Owusu excels in space, where he plays bigger than his size would suggest and can be downright intimidating as a devastating hitter.
If he straddles the line between linebacker and safety, it would also provide depth for a room that could really use it. Grant Delpit is coming off the ruptured Achilles' and it's difficult to simply assume he will be 100 percent of what he can be out of the gate. If Owusu can operate in that slot/rover role, it also enables Ronnie Harrison to play in multiple roles as he did last year.
Ultimately, it's wait and see when it comes to what the Browns plan to do with Owusu. They are in a position where they don't necessarily need a big impact from him as a rookie to be an effective defense. Nevertheless, with his talent, he could find his way on the field in multiple roles, adding an extra ingredient that could enable the Browns defense to be special.
