One of the better stories on the Cleveland Browns' defense this season has been the development of LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
In his third season, the athletic linebacker has blossomed into one of the better players in his position. He looks like a guy who deserves Pro Bowl honors for Cleveland’s defense.
There have been some rough patches in JOK’s young career. He’s battled some injuries, as well as issues with durability at his size. The former second-round pick opened up about how he’s improved.
“I think in some sense, every player has a developmental – or has those developmental steps,” Owusu-Koramoah explained. “I think that’s a part of the game, it’s a game of experience, it’s a game of knowledge. It’s a game of IQ. And the more that you get time and the more intensity that you put into it each and every year, I think that each player continues to improve. Whether you see it physically or mentally, whatever that may be, you do see a progression. I don’t think it’s one thing over another, but I think it’s that holistic journey of bringing intensity to the steps that are needed to take each and every year.”
In 2021 as a rookie, Owusu-Koramoah played in 14 games which is the most he’s played in during his NFL career. The next game that he plays this year will be his 15 of the season and that just goes to show he’s as healthy as he’s ever been.
Owusu-Koramoah has 84 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one interception. All of those numbers are already season highs for him and there are still three games left. JOK has a whopping 17 tackles for a loss and a lot of that has to do with Cleveland’s defensive improvement in the trenches.
JOK is around 220 pounds and before this season offensive linemen were getting past a mediocre defensive front of Cleveland’s and taking him out of the play. With improved defensive line play, Owusu-Koramoah has blossomed into a player who reads and reacts with the best of them.
Cleveland will have JOK through next season at the least before they’ll have to get a contract figured out for him so he can’t walk. With the improvements he has made and how far he has come, it’s an easy choice to get that deal done.
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