We are breaking down the Notre Dame football prospects ahead of the NFL Draft which begins on Thursday, April 29th in Cleveland, Ohio. There will be no NFL Combine this year due to the pandemic. However, Notre Dame will hold its Pro Day on March 31st at 12:00 PM in South Bend.
Next up, Notre Dame’s top pro prospect for 2021.
SPECS
Name: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Position: OLB
Height: 6-1 1/2
Weight: 215
Hometown: Hampton, VA
STATS
| YEAR | SOLO | ASST | TACKLES | TFL | SACK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 54 | 26 | 80 | 13.5 | 5.5 |
| 2020 | 42 | 20 | 62 | 11.0 | 1.5 |
| TOTAL | 96 | 46 | 142 | 24.5 | 7 |
BIO:
Perhaps the greatest 3-star recruit in Notre Dame history, Owusu-Koramoah was a late flip from the Virginia Cavaliers committing and signing with the Irish on February 1, 2017. He took a redshirt as a freshman then missed all but 2 games in 2018 after breaking his foot.
However, JOK would leave behind 2 of the best linebacker seasons in school history for 2019-20 while winning the Butkus Award as the country’s best player at his position this past fall.
STRENGTHS:
Lightning quick first step. Impressive acceleration that stands out against any opponent or teammate. Elite sideline-to-sideline speed. More physical than his listed size. Big hitter. Quickly diagnoses plays and works through traffic really well. Handles physicality from linemen well and gets off blocks at a high rate. Extremely versatile. Good blitzer and even better in pass coverage. A nearly perfect modern hybrid linebacker with safety skills.
WEAKNESSES:
Small for a linebacker. Aggressiveness sometimes leads to poor or missed tackles. A tweener in the NFL who will need to play a role he’s comfortable with like he was able to do in college.
OVERVIEW:
In terms of defenders, JOK seems like the most sure thing to come out of Notre Dame since Harrison Smith (29th overall in 2012) and maybe as far back as Bryant Young (7th overall in 1994). Inevitably, there will be comparisons to Jaylon Smith but of course he had the devastating injury and has now bulked up to nearly 250 pounds and doesn’t resemble the twitchy athlete we knew at Notre Dame.
People around the NFL tend to agree, JOK is a top 10-ish player in this draft. But, team needs and the reduction in importance of linebacker play are going to push him later in the 1st round, and very possibly, into the early 2nd round.
PREDICTION:
1st Round, 25th Overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars
After watching THIS video, he makes a very convincing case that Owusu-Koramoah should go to the Broncos at 9th overall or the Raiders at 17th overall. Right around 9th feels like where JOK should be picked in terms of ‘best player’ in the draft.
However, Urban Meyer and the Jaguars have the top pick as well as 4 selections within the top 45 overall and would have the option of even moving up and grabbing Owusu-Koramoah inside the top 20, as well. Although, outside linebacker isn’t projected to be one of their biggest needs they’d be smart to grab JOK with their second pick.
More Scouting Reports to Come:
Liam Eichenberg
Out of all of the ND guys, JOK is the one I’m most curious about in terms of his NFL future. I hope he doesn’t end up on a team that doesn’t have an imaginative DC. His only real weakness is the occasional missed tackle, but that could be exposed a bit more against some of the insanely strong RBs in the NFL.
My concern is you get a DC who can’t quite figure out how to use him properly. It’s not an apples to apples comparison, but I watched the Bears waste the first 4 years of Leonard Floyd’s career by having no idea how to use him, only to have him become a star in his first year in LA. I could see JOK stalling out if he gets shoehorned into the wrong role right away too; or I could see him becoming an all-pro type player if he finds the right fit.
I just really hope it’s not Cleveland at 26 or Baltimore at 27. The Ratbirds have a nasty habit of picking up Notre Dame players (Ronnie Stanley and Boykin).
Owusu-Koramoah will be fascinating to watch his career move forward. 215 is so light for an NFL LB, even in a rapidly changing world. I’m sure whatever team takes him in the first round is going to do so tailoring a plan for how to best utilize his immense skillset but it’s a pretty unique one right now.
I actually disagree here. While I am not a Baltimore fan, I think that they have a great defense and if they thought he was a good fit, he could thrive with other good defenders around him
I’m guessing hooks is a Steelers fan or from Cincy (but I don’t think the Bengals have fans), since those two teams are in the AFC North.
Correct, Steelers fan. I do agree that JOK probably would be put in a great spot by Baltimore. Just selfishly don’t want to see him making plays there for the next 5-10 years!
Also, unselfishly for his sake, I hope he gets drafted higher than 25 so he gets paid more on his rookie deal. That way we can all win 🙂
Actually I think if he falls to the Browns – they would be a serious contender to take him. They have a serious hole at LB that could turn into a very good D.