Scouting Report

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Every now and then a player gets me out of my seat when watching them play. Notre Dame linebacker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (JOK), is one of those players. No player in this draft hits harder than JOK. When NBA players like Ja Morant and Zion Williamson go on fast breaks, I get excited and begin to creep out of my seat when they are dribbling because I know they are about to throw down a monster dunk. I get that similar feeling when I see JOK going in for a tackle. The velocity that he hits receivers with is ridiculous. The only other player who I can compare it to in the NFL is Kam Chancellor. Back in the day against the Legion of Boom, putting a tight end on a seam route was practically pre-mediated murder. You knew exactly what was going to happen and you get the same feeling with JOK.

Other than being a walking hit stick, JOK has a lot of things to like about his game. The first trait that stood out on film were his violent hands. Once JOK gets his hands on a receiver or tight end, they get taken backwards. He has such a powerful punch, it’s like Deontay Wilder playing linebacker. JOK also has very active feet and is always in pursuit of a tackle. Coaches love players who hustle, JOK will run sideline to sideline, fall down, and still make the tackle. His effort is a big reason why teams and fans love him so much. At Notre Dame, JOK mostly played field side linebacker which nine times out of ten resulted in him being the SAM backer. He’s very good in man coverage, his quick feet allow him to cover running backs, tight ends, and even slot receivers. Similar to Micah Parsons, JOK is a very rangy player and you can just tell that he loves to play ball. JOK is a future team captain and will be a highlight machine in the NFL.

While JOK is extremely fun to watch, he is still a somewhat raw player. You can tell that the game hasn’t necessarily slowed down for him yet. I love his hustle, but the reason he has to hustle is because he falls for a lot of pre-snap motions which will get him eaten alive by play callers like Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. At times JOK over pursues on tackles which results in either missed tackles or being juked. Once JOK calms down a little and the game slows down for him, he has the potential to be a top 10 linebacker in the NFL.

JOK has such a unique skill set, he’s like Kam Chancellor in Jayon Brown’s body. He definitely has a first round grade from me, and I think he could potentially go top 15. If he doesn’t go top 15, I’d love to see the Browns add him to their defense. With Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney on the front end and JOK at linebacker, the Browns could be looking at a top ten defense in 2021. The Packers and the Washington Football Team also have a need at linebacker. I’m excited to see which team takes a shot on JOK on day one.