Washington Football Team: Three defensive prospects who fit best in 2021
No. 2 – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
One of the best coverage linebackers in the class, a guy who can be Washington’s starting WILL linebacker going forward, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah would be a much-needed upgrade for this team.
JOK shines in coverage. It’s where you see him do his best work. At Notre Dame, he played 328 snaps at slot cornerback, and he played 215 in the box, as he was asked to play coverage in both man and zone.
It’s safe to say, he shined bright and proved he’s as versatile of a coverage linebacker that there is, with adequate play as a run stopper as well.
Owusu-Koramoah forced 63 stops in his two seasons at Notre Dame, totaling seven sacks and six forced fumbles. He can be impactful as a pass rusher, as well. In addition to his six sacks, he forced 18 hurries and 27 total pressures in just two seasons.
While he was an effective pass rusher, his work in coverage speaks for itself. Given an average coverage grade of 79.7 throughout his two seasons at ND, he had five PBU’s in two seasons. During his 2020 campaign, he held QB’s to an NFL adjusted passer rating of only 77.3 when targeted.
His game speaks louder than what you see on the numbers, as he has great coverage instincts, he’s a ball-hawk and someone who plays at a play speed that’s unmatched.
While he won’t be a MIKE LB in this defense, he would immediately be the best LB on the Washington Football Team. He projects to play WILL. He’ll be a versatile piece that can provide pressure as a pass rusher, while giving this defensive unit an elite and instinctual coverage linebacker that can defend any matchup across from him.
His coverage ability and versatility provide JDR the ability to place him outside to play slot cornerback, in addition to just being another weapon and a chess piece that offenses have to account for. The instincts combined with the natural talent makes Owusu-Koramoah worthy of a first-round selection for Washington.
While frame concerns for JOK are an issue for many, standing 6’2″, 216 pounds, and playing WILL LB, the Washington Football Team will be in good hands with the selection of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.