Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s drop to the Browns in the second round of this year’s draft was a surprise given numerous predictions that he’d go in the first round and a report that a heart issue diagnosed late in the pre-draft process seemed to explain why he lasted until the second day.
Browns General Manager Andrew Berry called Owusu-Koramoah “completely healthy” in a radio interview this week and said nothing suggests his health will get in the way of a long NFL career. Owusu-Koramoah made his own visit to The Jim Rome Show on Tuesday to say that whatever popped up hasn’t had an effect on him.
“You get news,” Owusu-Koramoah said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “You get a lot of news within the draft and the process you’re going through. There was something that came up in terms of what guys were saying, but in terms of me, in terms of the personal aspect there were no really heart issues at all. There was nothing that was too ticked off and we went back to Notre Dame and looked at the medical records and everything. I never really had any heart issues or anything going on there. You know, you hear a lot of things, but you’ve got to get it from the source.”
Cabot spoke to people around the league who thought Owusu-Koramoah’s size and decision not to run the 40 at his Pro Day may have been reasons why he slipped further than expected. Whatever the concerns, the Browns thought he provided the right value at No. 52 and he’ll get his chance to prove them right.