The Cleveland Browns provided a second round draft day surprise.
They traded with the Carolina Panthers to move up from No. 59 to No. 52 in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Carolina trades: 2nd Rd (52), 4th Rd (113)
Cleveland trades: 2nd Rd (59), 3rd Rd (89)
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 1, 2021
The maneuver was well worth it as the Browns drafted Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (JOK).
Welcome to Cleveland, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah!#BrownsDraft | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/NOMeUyAWmh
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 1, 2021
Just a couple of weeks ago, mock drafts showed JOK going to the Browns with the 26th pick in the first round.
Snatching him in the second round is a steal.
Who Is JOK?
JOK is the 2020 recipient of the Dick Butkus Award given to the top linebacker in college football.
He measures 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds.
While he may be considered small in size, he possesses speed and versatility.
Some wonder if he could transition to safety.
In high school, JOK played multiple positions including linebacker, safety, running back, and wide receiver.
Last month, Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline listed JOK as the third best linebacker behind Micah Parsons (Penn State) drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 12 overall pick and Zaven Collins (Tulsa) drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 16 overall pick.
Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly talked about JOK’s maturity in 2020.
“When the caliber of play stepped up, his play stepped up to a level where we really saw him almost stand out against the really top performing teams. He brings his best against the best. I think that’s how you measure great players is at what level do they play. Competitive greatness is always measured about the great players play their best against those types of teams and I think that’s where we started to see his separation and ascension as a football player.”
2021 Cleveland Browns Defense
Make no mistake, GM Andrew Berry and Coach Kevin Stefanski made it their mission to improve the Browns defense for 2021.
On paper, they continue to add smart and versatile players who can do just that.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is another great addition.
Welcome to Cleveland JOK!
NEXT: 3 Things To Know About New Browns DB Greg Newsome II
Browns added great speed with their three picks. Now need to get an edge rusher
and an interior defensive tackle. Great draft!