IDP Deep Dive: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
IDP Deep Dive: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
What can we expect from the newly-paid Browns linebacker?
Earlier this week, we posted a poll on X asking which player to feature in our new deep-dive article series. The people have spoken, and Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was nominated. In this article, we’ll look at his career so far, his outlook for 2024, and any concerns we have for his future as an IDP asset.
Owusu-Koramoah the NFL Prospect
NFL teams and defensive coordinators emphasize the importance of player versatility, and that is exactly what Owusu-Koramoah offered as a prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft. As a two-year starter at Notre Dame, he was deployed in a variety of ways - at slot corner, in the box, and as an occasional blitzer on the defensive line.
Owusu-Koramoah was criticized for his tendency to overrun plays in college, with many suggesting he needed to temper his aggressive playing style. At 6’1” and 221 lbs, he also lacked the prototypical size for an off-ball linebacker. However, few players at the position possessed his sideline-to-sideline athleticism. Make no mistake, Owusu-Koramoah was as explosive as they come.
His positional versatility, proficiency in coverage, and light frame led many to wonder if Owusu-Koramah was more suited to playing safety at the NFL level. However, the Browns were clear about their intentions to use him as a linebacker after trading up to the 50th overall pick to select the talented youngster.
Owusu-Koramoah’s Career So Far
Owusu-Koramoah’s rookie year was extremely promising. He began the season behind veterans Anthony Walker and Malcolm Smith but established a more significant role in the second half of the season. Despite missing a worryingly high 17.4% of his tackle attempts, his abilities in pass coverage and production down the stretch led to him being a popular breakout IDP candidate heading into his second year. He seemed poised to take his game to the next level.
Unfortunately, Owusu-Koramoah’s sophomore year did not go to plan. He missed five games due to injuries, and despite being the most talented linebacker on the Browns roster, Woods’ tendency to utilize up to divide playing time between up to four players limited the upside of each player involved. Owusu-Koramoah led the unit in snap volume despite missing time, but despite managing a respectable 13.8% tackle efficiency rate, inferior NFL linebackers finished the season with superior production because they played every down.
Expectations remained understandably high for Owusu-Koramoah heading into 2023. Jim Schwartz had replaced Woods as the defensive coordinator, and Schwartz had demonstrated a tendency to employ at least one full-time linebacker while serving in the same role with the Philadelphia Eagles. Under Schwartz, Owusu-Koramoah played a key part in a much-improved defense. He regularly produced impactful plays, finished tied for 16th among all linebackers in points per game and 21st in overall scoring. Still, a relative lack of opportunities capped his ceiling once again, as he languished 42nd at the position in snap volume.
Outlook for 2024 and Beyond
It was encouraging that Owusu-Koramoah played at least 80% of the snaps in six of his last seven games in 2023, and every down for the first time in his three-year career in week 18. Still, it’s an optimistic outlook to expect that positive trend to continue in 2024. Schwartz remains the defensive coordinator, and unless he deviates from his approach last season, the concern is that little will change. When asked about Owusu-Koramoah’s role in 2024, Schwartz talked about “load management.” Hardly the news IDP managers were hoping to hear.
Walker and Sione Takitaki left in free agency and were replaced by Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush. Hicks is capable of being the thorn in the side of Owusu-Koramoah that Walker and Takitaki have been in recent years. Still, the youngster has the advantage of being familiar with Schwartz’s scheme. Furthermore, he is an ascending player, coming off his best and most productive season, whereas Hicks is in the twilight of his career. Bush may leech snaps, but he’s a downgrade on Takitaki, and Tony Fields is a similarly poor player.
It’s maddening that we have to discuss how players of the caliber of Bush and Fields could limit Owusu-Koramoah’s fantasy upside given that he has the tools to be a top-10 linebacker, and it’s fair to wonder whether his value would be higher if he played in a different scheme. However, any IDP managers hoping he will benefit from a change of scenery after the final year of his rookie contract in 2024 will be disappointed. As I was writing this article, news broke that the Browns and Owusu-Koramoah had agreed on a three-year contract extension worth up to $39 million with $25 million guaranteed.
Even with Schwartz still in the fold, it’s reasonable to expect a slightly clearer division of duties in 2024, as the drop-off in talent between the pairing of Owusu-Koramoah/Hicks to Bush/Fields is sizeable. Even so, we doubt Owusu-Koramoah will be an every-down player this season, meaning we will once again be relying on him to produce at a more efficient level than his peers on other teams.
Conclusion
Owusu-Koramoah is not the finished article. The missed tackle rate is not ideal, and critics would attribute this to his lightweight frame and aggressive playstyle. However, IDP managers should note that his missed tackle rate has improved steadily with each season, from 17.4% in 2021 to 14.9% in 2022, and 13.1% in 2023. What may be overlooked when evaluating this particular point is where he’s making those tackle attempts. In 2023, he led all linebackers with 20 tackles for a loss, and his average depth per tackle figure of 1.2 yards was almost a yard better than the linebacker in third.
While he’s a difference-maker when he is on the field, we should temper expectations that Owusu-Koramoah can perform like an LB1 in 2024. To achieve that feat, we would need Schwartz to change tact from his tried and tested methods last season. IDP managers seem to be aware of this, as Owusu-Koramoah is being taken as the LB19 in best ball drafts. However, while Owusu-Koramoah’s IDP managers in redraft formats may be in for a mildly frustrating season, we still expect him to deliver his most productive season to date, and his dynasty managers have much to look forward to. He is ranked as the LB13 in our dynasty rankings because there’s still so much more to come from the 24-year-old.
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