2021 NFL Mock Draft: First-round projections after Super Bowl LV

Defenders are just flying off the board at this point in the draft and this is where I have Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah going.

For a playoff team, you would think the Irish would have more first-round talent heading to the draft this year, but they were actually pretty young and Owusu-Koramoah was one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball and a main reason why they made it to the national semifinal — and helped get Clark Lea a head coaching job at Vanderbilt.

Owusu-Koramoah took home some hardware in 2020 with the Dick Butkus Award as well as first-team All-ACC honors and he was even named the conference’s defensive player of the year. He was an absolute breakout sensation.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker had 62 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three passes defended and an interception with three forced fumbles and a touchdown. He was all over the field and is my No. 2 linebacker in the class. He also has the versatility to play a little safety and could be that hybrid player in the right defense.

The Dolphins went offense with their first pick and addressing a need at linebacker at No. 18 would be a home run.