Year two did not go as planned for Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in Cleveland. After a first year which saw him look like a big time building block for the Browns defense, JOK was not able to build upon his rookie season.
Limited to just 11 games, Koramoah was not as effective as he was in year one. The 2021 second round pick saw an uptick in playing time, but struggled in a few areas. Pass defense is one area of note with nearly 70% of the 39 passes completed with Koramoah in coverage.
As far as non-pass coverage duties were concerned, they were not necessarily all that great either. Koramoah registered only two pressures and one quarterback hit in 2022, down from five and four respectively in 2021. Those numbers must head back in the right direction, ending up where they should have been last season.
JOK had his fair share of struggles but the coaching staff did not help either
Not all of this is on Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The Browns defense notably struggled under the tutelage of the now departed Joe Woods. Many players did not know their assignments on a play-to-play basis which did not help anyone. Now that Jim Schwartz is in charge and there were actual improvements up front, JOK should have a much better third season in Cleveland. Schwartz should know how to deploy Koramoah properly, giving him the right responsibilities in order to get the most out of the former Notre Dame product.
If Koramoah is not able to get back on track it would be a big problem for the future of the Browns defense. There is not necessarily anyone noteworthy playing linebacker in Cleveland at the moment. The expecation is that JOK is that noteworthy individual not just now, but in the future as well. If he is not able to accomplish that it would lead to a much larger discussion that would need to take place.
