Jacksonville Jaguars draft a linebacker in PFN’s latest mock

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah can bolster the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter the offseason with plenty of needs on defense. On the bright side, they have plenty of draft picks and a healthy amount of cap space to address all or most of them. They need to fortify their defensive line and their secondary. They could also add a playmaker to their linebacker corps, which is what Pro Football Network’s latest mock projects they will do in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Ian Cummings of PFN believes the ‘Jags’ will use the 25th overall selection to draft Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. He thinks his versatility and playmaking prowess can help the Jaguars defense.

The 2020 ACC Defensive Player of the Year registered 136 total tackles (24.5 for a loss), five forced fumbles, and seven sacks during his two-year tenure in Notre Dame. He also displayed his ability to play the pass and logged seven passes defensed and one interception. Even though Alabama beat Notre Dame 31-13 in the Rose Bowl, Owusu-Koramoah finished the game with six total tackles and showed he can play at a high level against top competition.

Would it make sense for the Jacksonville Jaguars to draft Owusu-Koramoah?

The Jaguars have a couple of studs in linebacker Joe Schobert and Myles Jack and Owusu-Koramah would solidify their linebacker unit. The All American is adept against the run and the pass, and wouldn’t need to get off the field often. Sophomore Joe Giles-Harris played well in the last four games of the 2020 season, but the team could still use an upgrade at the third linebacker spot.

There are different paths the ‘Jags’ can take to rebuild their defense, and at this point, pretty much all of them would make sense. While they need to add talent to other position groups, using the 25th overall selection on Owusu-Koramoah to fortify their linebacker corps wouldn’t be a bad idea.