The Cleveland Browns won’t have one of their best players on the field next season.
Unfortunately, no one even knows if he will be able to play again at all.
So, with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah out of the picture, everybody on defense will have to step up and make up for his solid production and play.
With that in mind, Jonathon Macri of PFF believes that LB Jordan Hicks is the team’s most underrated player next season.
In his latest column, he gushed about the veteran linebacker and the consistent production he had last season:
“LB Jordan Hicks,” Macri wrote. “Year 10 in the NFL resulted in a top-10 PFF overall grade at the position for Hicks (77.4), and the best mark of his career since 2018. […] After Koramoah’s injury, Hicks regained the role and finished the year as one of just eight linebackers to earn a top-25 PFF grade in run defense (77.7) and coverage (70.0), proving there’s still plenty left in the tank for the near-33-year-old linebacker heading in 2025.”
Hicks was a very valuable piece on a defense that regressed last season.
He’s a proven veteran who’s going to make plays when needed, not to mention a strong presence and leader in the locker room.
Then again, expecting him to be a huge factor in his eleventh season in the league at age 33 might be a little too ambitious or optimistic.
The Browns took UCLA LB Carson Schwesinger early in the 2025 NFL Draft, most likely anticipating that they wouldn’t have Owusu-Koramoah for the long run.
Not all first-year players are thrown into the fire right out of the gate, but the Browns might not have much of a choice with their new linebacker.
More than that, they’re also reportedly very impressed with his athleticism and football instincts.
Hopefully, Hicks will be as good as he was last season, but if that’s not the case, the Browns may have a solid plan B.
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