The Baltimore Ravens must have fallen in love with Jayson Oweh’s incredible pro day performance, selecting the Penn State defensive product with the No. 31 pick in the draft.
Oweh, at 6-foot-5 and 257 pounds, turned heads in a big way when he ran an utterly absurd 4.36 40-yard dash and showcased his explosiveness with a 39.5-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 11 feet and two inches. Those are numbers that truly show you’re a one-of-a-kind athlete, and when combined with his hulking frame, it’s easy to see the appeal that he brings to the table. With some fine-tuning and NFL-level development, Oweh could turn into an unstoppable force off the edge.
Here’s the rest of the rundown on Oweh.
Measurables: 6'5"/257
School: Penn State
2020 stats: 7 games, 38 tackles (20 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass defensed
Accolades: 2020 First-Team All-Big Ten
Strengths:
- It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out, but wow is that size-speed combo impressive.
- Explosiveness from a neutral position.
- Can win because of his athleticism.
- Can make tackles and catch RB behind the line of scrimmage if he gets past blockers.
- Displays patience to allow running play to develop and make his read.
- Has potential to be something special if teams are willing to be patient and develop his technical skills.
Weaknesses:
- Underwhelming production despite all of his physical tools.
- His technique wasn’t what helped him to succeed.
- Doesn’t generate too much strength in a bull-charge manner.
- Upper body power doesn’t mimic what he has in his lower half.
- Looks like he can be pretty easily stifled by bigger offensive tackles.
Expert scout analysis:
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
- “...has dominant potential as a run defender with burst and range to upend back-side and play-side runs…”
- “...he does lack eye discipline and feel for blocking schemes, which tends to derail his momentum…”
- “...has the ability to rate as a Pro Bowl rush linebacker with the ability to stick a hand in the ground if you need it.”
Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network
- “With rare length and athletic tools, Oweh has plenty of potential and his ceiling as a prospect is that of a 10-plus sack per season pass rusher.”
- “...needs to mature both technically and physically before taking on a high volume of snaps.”
- “...he’ll win from wide angles and he has the functional athleticism in space to play as a 3-4 outside linebacker…”
Tape:
Player comparison: Manny Lawson
Lawson, who played both on the defensive line and in a linebacker role for NC State in the early-mid 2000s, ran a freakish 4.43 40-yard dash for a man of his size (6-foot-5, 241 pounds), and was taken at the back end of the first round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2006. He never quite reached the level of a first-round pick, playing linebacker throughout his whole career, but was more than serviceable and could do everything from situate himself on the line and either rush the passer or set the edge on the run, or even drop back into coverage. Oweh could reasonably be expected to develop into a similar role, especially if teams can develop his technique while maximizing his athletic potential.
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