CLEVELAND — Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah may have slid into the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. But when it comes to the former Notre Dame linebacker's outlook for his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, the expectations remain high.
So much so that according to SportsBettingDime.com, Owusu-Koramoah enters the 2021 campaign with the seventh-best odds of being named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
At +1400 odds, the 21-year-old Owusu-Koramoah trails Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (+400), Miami Dolphins edge defender Jaelan Phillips (+700), Indianapolis Colts edge defender Kwity Paye (+1000), Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II (+1000), Arizona Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins (+1100), Washington Football Team linebacker Jamin Davis (+1200) and is tied with Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn. Owusu-Koramoah is the highest-ranked second-round pick and possesses better odds than a handful of 2021 first-round picks, including his Browns teammate, cornerback Greg Newsome II (+2000).
Considered one of the top linebackers in the 2021 class, Owusu-Koramoah slid was projected by many to be a first-round selection, but slid to No. 52, where Cleveland selected him following a trade with the Carolina Panthers. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, a heart condition that was discovered in the draft process played a role in the 2020 Butkus Award winner's slide, although Browns general manager Andrew Berry has since downplayed any potential concern.
"We just thought he was one of the more talented prospects in this year's class," Berry told The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima last week. "He's completely healthy. There's really nothing in his background that would suggest he can't have a nice, long career."