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.

The Cleveland Browns rookie linebacker was impressive in his preseason debut against Jacksonville.

There is one thing that everyone can agree on, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah stole the show in Saturday’s preseason win down in Jacksonville. The Browns rookie was sensational as he made plays that are expected from veterans at the position. Correctly diagnosing plays leading to making the right decision time and time again.  JOK finished with the game with a team-high eight tackles (seven solo), three tackles for loss, and one sack. While it was a preseason game and that fact matters, being able to see that JOK was not overwhelmed and did not appear to be confused is a good sign for the second round pick.

Not only was Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah able to correctly read the screen concept above, but he was able to use some of his abilities at shedding blockers to end up with the sack.

Not only was JOK able to show that he can read and anticipate concepts from the offense, but he also displayed his closing speed.

One thing is for certain, the Cleveland Browns got one heck of a steal in round two of the 2021 NFL Draft. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah appears to be on the fast track to occupying a starting linebacker spot sooner rather than later.