Oct 6, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs the ball against Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) during the first quarter at NorthWest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Peter Casey-Imagn Images

NFL Execs Rank Cleveland Browns Player One of League's Top Linebackers

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 12:36 PM ET

With the evolution of offenses in the modern NFL, defenses and coaches on that side of the ball are quickly trying to keep up with all of the innovative attacks. The Cleveland Browns are expected to bring another elite defensive unit into the 2025 season; they just need their offense to catch up now.

One position that's grown undervalued in the past few years is linebacker. As NFL teams shifted more towards high-octane passing offenses, defenses weren't as desperate to find heat-seeking missiles capable of shutting down running lanes every single down. But the league is quickly finding out that having versatile linebackers who can both drop back in pass coverage and contain opposing run games is crucial to building a truly great defense. The talent hasn't quite caught up to this revelatory need yet, though, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Execs, coaches and scouts rank top 10 off-ball linebackers:

Consensus: This is the NFL's weakest position.

-Fred Warner in class by himself
-Top-five surprise out of Washington
-Even bigger surprise out of Dallas
-A 35-year-old legend back in top 10https://t.co/Vhc62WEPa3
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 15, 2025

He recently conducted his poll among NFL executives, coaches, and scouts and came to the conclusion that linebacker is the weakest position group in the league right now. Thankfully, the Browns are pretty set there. Between Carson Schwesinger, Jordan Hicks, Mohamoud Diabate, and Devin Bush, Cleveland has a well-rounded and deep group of talent behind their defensive front.

That's not even including their best backer, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who's going to be out for the entire 2025 season with a neck injury. He's dealt with health and availability issues his whole career, but showed in his one full season in 2023 just how impactful he can be over the course of a full campaign.

Despite his injury, NFL executives, coaches, and scouts still gave him enough votes to land as the sixth-best linebacker on Fowler's poll, although he was ultimately relegated to an honorable mention because of his status. One personnel director had high praise for Owusu-Koramoah:

"He was top three in the league before he got hurt. Such a weapon in [Jim Schwartz's] defense. TFL machine, super impactful."

Cleveland will surely miss his presence in the box next season. Hopefully, he'll be back and better than ever in 2026 and earn his place back among the top linebackers in the league.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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