The biggest Notre Dame related surprise from this past weekend’s NFL Draft was the fall of Butkus Award-winning linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to #52 overall. It was believed that the only reason for the draft tumble was related to his size, but according to NFL insider Adam Schefter, a heart issue discovered late in the draft process also contributed.
Thankfully for Owusu-Koramoah, the issue was discovered by doctors, and that they did ultimately clear him so that he can continue his career. JOK‘s Draft fall makes a little more sense now since his size was not a surprise to anyone and his projections were almost universally for being a mid-first round selection.
Cleveland fans were beyond excited to get a player they have already started referring to as their “Lamar Stopper”. Lamer being Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. The former Heisman winner and his Ravens team are Cleveland’s toughest competition in the AFC North even though the Pittsburgh Steelers won the division this past year.
While it is still unfortunate for Owusu-Koramoah that he fell to the 2nd round and lost out on millions of dollars in his first contact – the difference between mid-1st round and mid-2nd round is probably between $7-8 million over four years. On the bright side, he will be eligible for his second contract a year earlier by being a second-rounder. NFL teams hold options that tend to be more team-friendly for a rookie’s fifth year for first-rounders.
Most importantly for Owusu-Koramoah, doctors reportedly discovered the issue and that it wasn’t serious otherwise he likely would not have been cleared.
This was so messed up. Oh it was a minor concern that doctors cleared him medically but reported last minute to teams to impact his draft status. That is so messed up for first round talent. What were doctors telling him during his entire college career?