There are only 2 downsides to outboard jets.
1. They cannot be tilted out of the water like an OB jet, and this leaves them susceptible to corrosion/electrolysis. And because they use a water box and wet exhaust system, in cold weather, lines can freeze.
2. They become a vacuum cleaner at idle, and in water shallower than 18-24 inches (or double that depth when in reverse due to the water being shot straight under the boat) your cooling system can get blocked with sand, etc. (Put a Jabsco inline water strainer on your cooling line, along with an OBM water PSI gauge at your dash, and be done with that worry)
As for sucking up leaves, etc....yep, it happens. But if you modify the intake grate into a stomp grate, then, problem solved for that, as well. Check out my Aluma-jet build, near the bottom of page 1, you'll see how to do a stomp grate mod for your pump.
Hope that info helps!