Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was a consensus first-round player in nearly every final mock draft and a top-25 player on many draft boards, but the swift Notre Dame linebacker plummeted all the way to the No. 52 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Many speculated the fall was related to his lack of size or a truly defined position in an NFL defense. And while those likely contributed, Adam Schefter of ESPN brought up a different reason on Monday.
Schefter reported that Owusu-Koramoah had an undisclosed heart issue that was discovered late in the draft process. He notes the doctors cleared him for full play.
The news of the heart issue, whatever it might ultimately be, does offer a more rational explanation why such a talented player would fall so far in the draft.
After the Browns drafted Owusu-Koramoah in the second round, Cleveland GM Andrew Berry offered this when asked about any possible medical flags for the Irish LB,
“I can’t begin to speculate in terms of what made him, I guess, allegedly drop, but I can say that we were very comfortable with him from a medical standpoint.”
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had a heart issue that came up late in the process and was a concern for most teams, which is why he fell out of the first round and to pick No. 52 with Cleveland, per sources. Doctors ultimately cleared Owusu-Koramoah but it did contribute to him falling.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 3, 2021
It is not unusual for players to have previously undiagnosed medical issues come to light during the medical evaluations in the pre-draft process. Owusu-Koramoah’s status should not give the Browns any worries.
