Heading into the offseason, the Cleveland Browns front office, and general manager Andrew Berry in particular, had the tall task of improving a playoff team. Little did we know, he would not only hit a home run in the first round, but strike it rich again in the second and third rounds. Former Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome II fell to the Browns with the 26th pick in the first round. Andrew Berry hit a home-run with Newsome, but could he do better in the upcoming rounds? Well, in short, yes. Former Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was viewed by many as a first-round talent. However, after watching him slip further and further down draft boards, the Browns took a chance and traded up to the 52nd pick to snag the versatile defender.
Owusu-Koramoah adds another dimension to a defense that is slowly becoming one of the best in the NFL, on paper. Finally, with the 91st pick in the third round, the Browns nabbed the fastest player in the entire draft, Anthony Schwartz out of Auburn. The blazing fast wide receiver was clocked ran a 4.25 official 40-yard dash. On top of that, he ran track at Auburn. Let’s dive a little deeper in to both of these new Browns players.
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Browns Draft Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
LB/S (Pick 52, Second Round)
As stated above, Owusu-Koramoah is very versatile. He is the kind of hybrid player that NFL teams have been drooling over. He excels in coverage and is a deadly blitzer from the edge. JOK doesn’t have much experience in the middle, but that’s why the Browns signed Anthony Walker from Indianapolis. Without an NFL Combine this year, the Notre Dame linebacker wasn’t able to show the NFL how athletic he is. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash and has a 40-inch vertical. After being viewed as an undersized linebacker, he looked great at his pro day, and came in at a powerful 6’3 and 245 pounds.
It’s no secret the Browns needed to improve the secondary heading into next season. The Browns front office got busy quick, signing former Rams defensive backs John Johnson III and Troy Hill. On top of that the Browns inked Takkarist McKinley, Anthony Walker, and Jadeveon Clowney to improve the front seven. Owusu-Koramoah is so versatile that the Browns are likely to use him in a number of different ways. He can be great as a linebacker in coverage, or as a big safety that plays near the box. Overall this pick was a grand slam for Andrew Berry and the Browns.
Anthony Schwartz, WR (Pick 91, Third Round)
It’s very possible that Anthony Schwartz is the man to bring the Browns’ offense up to an elite level. The speedster hauled in 54 passes for 636 yards and three touchdowns this past fall. As stated above, he clocked an official time of 4.25 in the 40-yard dash, making him the fastest player in the 2021 NFL Draft. Look for the Browns to use Schwartz as an H-back. He should excel in short passing patterns, and plays like reverses and jet sweeps. Hopefully, Schwartz can also add some talent in special teams. The Browns haven’t had a good kick returner since Josh Cribbs. Hopefully Schwartz is the man to pick up the torch.
