The sobering truth is, the Browns have no idea if Owusu-Koramoah, their second-round pick in 2021 out of Notre Dame, will play this season, or at all. The neck was so compressed and the injury so severe that Owusu-Koramoah will likely have to weigh the pros and cons of playing again even if he gets the green light from the doctors.
“Great to have Jeremiah back in the building,” Kevin Stefanski said during the offseason program kickoff press conference last month. “Obviously, he’s been here in and out of the building throughout the offseason. Great energy. He’s always the same person every single day at every single hour of the day, but fun to have him around.”
As for whether or not his arrival on the first day bodes well for the season, Stefanski said, “We’re so day to day with any injury, and in particular, we’ll continue to treat his injury and listen to what he says and what the doctors say.”
The Browns have been primarily concerned with Owusu-Koramoah’s health and well-being, but from a football standpoint, they’ll potentially be without one of the premier off-ball linebackers in the NFL, and one for whom the arrow was pointing up. The lights had come on for Owusu-Koramoah over the past two seasons, and he was becoming the dominant force the Browns believed he’d be when they traded up to No. 52 in 2021 to draft him.
That’s where second-round pick Carson Schwesinger, the No. 33 pick out of UCLA, comes in. The Browns didn’t draft Schwesinger because of Owusu-Koramoah’s injury, but he’ll certainly ease the loss of the shifty, rangy, impact player.
“You guys know our history here is we haven’t necessarily invested a ton of resources in the off-the-ball linebacker room with really Jeremiah being the notable exception in 2021,” Berry said on Day 2 of the draft. “We felt like Carson was a pretty unique player at the position. Fast, athletic, really good in the passing game, he can blitz and he’s super smart and aggressive. We felt like he was really another modern-day archetype at the position, and we really felt like he could really elevate that position room if we can get him to his potential at maturity. We’re really excited to add him to the team.”
The Browns are so enthused about Schwesinger that they passed on opportunities to trade down from No. 33 and went back-to-back defense after taking Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5 following the blockbuster trade with Jacksonville to move down from No. 2.
The Schwesinger pick raised some eyebrows from NFL analysts, especially with the Browns needing to revive their points-challenged offense. But they jumped at the chance to grab him with the first pick of the second round, believing he’d be gone soon after. They were so sure about him that they secured him at 33 instead of 36, one of the three picks they received in their haul from the Jaguars.
But the eyebrows relaxed when they used 36 on Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins, who will help transform the running game, along with fourth-round pick Dylan Sampson out of Tennessee, also a pick from that Jaguars bonanza.
“You talk about a guy who was a walk-on, and not only a walk-on, but really a one-year starter, started three games into the season and just took off,” Browns assistant general manager Glenn Cook said on Day 2. “And extremely productive, extremely smart, very versatile, kind of fits exactly the identity we want on defense. So, for us it was really about maximizing these picks. You guys know Andrew. He’s going to take calls. There are opportunities on the table, but we felt like it was best to sit.”
Berry was quick to point out that Schwesinger’s acquisition doesn’t portend a lost season for Owusu-Koramoah.
“That did not drive the decision for Carson,” Berry said. “I want to be clear there,” adding that Schwesinger would’ve “absolutely” been in play there had Owusu-Koramoah been healthy.
But he did acknowledge that Schwesinger, the No. 2-ranked linebacker in the class according to noted draft expert Dane Brugler of The Athletic, has a superpower like Owusu-Koramoah did.
“The biggest thing for us is, guys at the off-the-ball linebacker position, for us to maybe go outside of the norm, we have to project them to be able to do something special or well above average in the passing game,” Berry said. “And for Jeremiah. that was really his ability as a blitzer. He was a great run defender because he can make plays behind the line of scrimmage and everything, but he was really special – or is really special, I should say, as a blitzer.
“With Carson, his profile is maybe a little bit different in the fact that he’s shown himself to be a really strong coverage player. Whether man or zone, he very much, like Jeremiah, he’s very good in the run game, very instinctive, a surefire tackler. But when we look at that position and if we’re going to invest significant resources, it’s, ‘Hey, can this player contribute above and beyond on third down?’”
Cook noted that Schwesinger, a bioengineering major with an exceptionally high football IQ, has “green dot” potential as the defensive signal-caller, and that it will be up to defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and linebackers coach Jason Tarver on how to best use him.
“Obviously, we still have Jordan (Hicks), who’s a strong vet for our team, a really great leader. So really, it’s about getting the best combo out there. So, if it’s him playing Sam, Will, you know, coming in at nickel, whatever we need him to do. You know, he’s got a ton of versatility. That’s probably what excited us about him so that’s probably how we’ll approach him.”
With only nine full starts under his belt, the Browns can’t wait to see what Schwesinger can do with some pro coaching and a full-time commitment to the gig.
“He was just so productive even in his (limited) opportunities,” Cook said. “There’s potentially even more meat on the bone in terms of his development. We’re excited about that. He’s 22 years old. He’s probably got some room to grow, and there’s obviously still things he can improve at, but ultimately what he did show made us really excited about what he could do for our defense.”
A no-star recruit coming out of Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California, Schwesinger went unranked by the online recruiting services in 2021 and didn’t receive his first scholarship offer — only partial — from FCS Bucknell until midway through his senior season. He opted to accept a walk-on opportunity with Chip Kelly at UCLA. Impressive in practices in 2021, he earned time on the special teams scout team, and was put on full scholarship in 2022. An eight-time honor roll member, he’s graduating this spring.
“I have to start with Carson’s journey off the field, because [it’s] such an impressive journey,” Browns assistant GM Catherine Hickman said on draft weekend. “A walk-on, that mentality, what he’s going to bring to our program, from a work ethic and leadership standpoint, he’s invaluable. On the field, you’re thinking of a very versatile, athletic, instinctive player with good feel. And that’s something that Jim and Coach Tarv (Jason Tarver) put premium on when it comes to versatility. It gives them pieces to interchange and attack offenses differently. So I think that’s what he’s going to bring. Extremely productive in his last year and also a very productive special teams player in his first two years as well. So really just extremely excited to bring a young man like Carson into our program.”
Schwesinger exemplifies the Browns’ desired profile of smart, tough, accountable players. It runs through the entire rookie class, from Mason Graham at No. 5, to Shedeur Sanders at No. 144.
“I like to say we’re building a team,” Hickman said. “We’re not just acquiring talent. The culture that we’re trying to build, the type of people we’re trying to bring here is really important. We want to play tough and competitive. We want to work hard. That’s what we’re about. You have to be physical and tough to play in this division. So bringing guys here that can play that brand of football is really important to us and so far the guys we brought are embodying this.”
Schwesinger, who’s ready for any role the Browns give him, won’t forget what landed him here in the first place.
“Regardless of the walk-on, that chip on that shoulder has been something that’s been there since I was born,” he said on draft day. “Even going against my older brother (E.J) growing up, that competitive nature, but definitely in college, it helped shape me. It gave me the work ethic that I needed. And the chip on the shoulder, once you have it, it’s never going to leave. So, it’s going to be something that continues to drive me throughout my NFL career and I’m ready for it.”
And along the way, he’ll also have a Pro Bowl linebacker to learn from in Owusu-Koramoah.
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