Packers 2021 Draft Profile: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
By Nile McNair
Over the past week the NFL offseason has ramped up, with breaking news on players being cut, re-signed or franchise tagged. Yet, we must not forget that the 2021 NFL Draft is under 50 days away.
The Green Bay Packers have the 29th draft pick in this year’s draft. What position the Packers select here is very important. While Green Bay could go with multiple other positions, they should target a linebacker.
In particular, the Packers should target Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The former Norte Dame linebacker is listed at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds.
Owusu-Koramoah put up some impressive stats in his two years as a starter for the Fighting Irish. In 2019, he had 80 total tackles and two forced fumbles.
Then in his 2020 breakout season, Owusu-Koramoah had three forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown.
Owusu-Koramoah ended up being the 2020 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, the 2020 Dick Butkus award winner and a 2020 consensus All-American.
Why the Packers need Owusu-Koramoah
Besides his on-field production, what makes Owusu-Koramoah standout is his great athleticism. Although he is undersized for his position, Owusu-Koramoah makes up for it with his speed. It’ll be exciting to see what he runs in the 40-yard dash at Notre Dame’s pro day March 31.
Owusu-Koramoah’s speed coincides with his long and rangy arms. His overall athletic ability allows him to make big plays.
Drafting Owusu-Koramoah would be great for the Packers. First, they would finally have their version of today’s NFL linebacker. Fast, sideline-to-sideline linebackers are taking over the NFL. Just look at Devin White, who was all over the field against Green Bay in the NFC Championship game.
Secondly, his speed would bring an element to the Packers defense we haven’t seen in a while. Previous Packers linebackers like Christian Kirksey and Blake Martinez were more stout and slower than Owusu-Koramoah.
Currently, both Pro Football Focus and CBS Sports have Owusu-Koramoah coming to Green Bay in their mock drafts. Hopefully, adding a freak athlete like Owusu-Koramoah at linebacker improves the interior of the Packers defense.