While we still have more than two months to go until the NFL draft rolls around, one of the most common selections we have seen in mocks so far is Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah from Notre Dame. The speedy linebacker has everything that Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden want in a prospect and he is a perfect fit as a weakside linebacker in Gus Bradley’s defense.
Another NFL Draft expert mocked “JOK” to the Raiders in the first round recently and that was Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. Here is what he had to say about the potential fit for Owusu-Koramoah and the Raiders:
“The Notre Dame product is one of the most exciting defenders in this draft class. He’s athletic and sticky in coverage, while possessing blazing pursuit speed and scary pass-rush potential.”
The player certainly wouldn’t be a problem at all for the Raiders. Owusu-Koramoah is the modern-day linebacker and has very few flaws in his game. If the Raiders were to select him at No. 17, he would be considered a value and likely a Day 1 starter.
The problem lies with how the Raiders want to fix the rest of their defense. They need help on the defensive line and in the secondary. Their linebacker unit needs work, as well, but that’s already a group that has two highly-paid players at the position. Considering just how bad the defense was last season, the Raiders might be wise to use their first pick somewhere else.
Expect Owusu-Koramoah to be on the shortlist of names the Raiders consider at No. 17.
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