Jaguars: Why drafting LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at 25 makes sense

The Jacksonville Jaguars added reinforcements to most position groups in free agency. Both their secondary and defensive front look better after receiving an infusion of depth and talent. However, the team didn’t make many changes to the linebacker corps. That’s why it makes sense for the Jags to use the 25th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft on Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Ryan Gosling of Pro Football Network projects in his latest mock draft that Jacksonville will take Owusu-Koramoah at 25. He doesn’t go deep into why this would be a good fit but points out that the Virginia native is an explosive linebacker. A three-star prospect out of high school, he appeared in 25 games for the Fighting Irish and logged 142 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, one interception, and five forced fumbles in the last two years.

Owusu-Koramoah plays the run well and doesn’t need to get off the field in passing downs, as he can line up in the slot and is athletic enough to keep up with opposing wide receivers. He has superb range and can easily track the ball. On the other hand, he lacks the prototypical size of a linebacker and it’s uncertain how he will hold up in the NFL.

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to add talent to their linebacker unit too.

This isn’t the first time Owusu-Koramoah has been mocked to the Jaguars, but it makes more sense now after free agency. While Jacksonville made upgrades to both the defensive line and the secondary, they didn’t make any major additions to their linebacker corps. They already made a heavy commitment to Myles Jack and Jack Schobert, so it’s possible that they didn’t want to make another investment in the unit.

Also, none of the linebackers available in the open market might have been a good fit in defensive coordinator Joe Cullen’s defense, so they opted not to address the position in free agency, and will likely wait until the draft to make additions. If that’s the case, Owusu-Koramoah will be an interesting option at 25.

It’s uncertain how Jacksonville’s defense will look in the regular-season opener. However, you can never have enough good players and Owusu-Koramoah may be one of the best ones available when the Jags are on the clock at 25.