Finding Broncos: Scouting Penn State EDGE Jayson Oweh
Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Penn State edge rusher Jayson Oweh, a prospect the Denver Broncos could definitely use as a potential successor to Von Miller.
Measurables
- Height: 6-foot-5
- Weight: 255 pounds
Stats
Sports-Reference.com
Pros
- Despite the lack of sacks, notched 20 pressures on 171 pass-rush snaps or a pressure every 8.55 pass-rush snaps
- An explosive athlete with plenty of twitch when attacking offensive linemen
- Gets upfield quickly and can really strain the outside shoulder of tackles with his burst and flexibility to get under their shoulders
- He has one really good pass rush move down and it is very effective
- There is good power in his pass rush and run defense especially with his hands to jolt and control offensive linemen
- Has excellent length
- Energetic and will give it 110% every play of the game
- His ability to work laterally is outstanding and he can be such a problem when working on stunts and twists
- Very loose and fluid with his movements which leads to some promise with dropbacks into certain zone coverages
- His versatility is elite with scheme-, role-, and position-diversity
Cons
- His sack production does not match his traits as a pass rusher
- Lacks experience after being stuck behind talented edge rushers at Penn State
- Has to develop more pass rush moves but also counters to fall back on when his chop/rip move fails
- While he has good length, he could do better in using it especially with keeping blockers off his chest
- Helping him convert his initial burst to explosive power could really make him dangerous
- Would like to see him be more consistent with his technique as a run defender
- His football IQ is a work in progress and learning how to read blocking concepts as they develop will be beneficial
Overview
Oweh has all the traits to be an outstanding edge rusher in the NFL as well as a great run defender. The problem is, he lacks experience and still needs development in key areas.
While Oweh didn’t have the sack production in 2020, he still brought it as a pass rusher, averaging a pressure every 8.5 pass-rush snaps. He is an excellent athlete and that really translates well to being a versatile edge defender in the NFL, as he projects to be. Of course, he has to put in the work and take to coaching to really become a weapon for a defense and that may take a year or two.
Fit with Broncos
I really like Oweh's fit with the Broncos because they have the right coaches and players around him to help him develop as a player. The scheme also isn’t an issue as he has the athleticism and fluidity with his movements to work as a stand-up 2-point rush linebacker that Vic Fangio employs.
Not only that, Oweh has the versatility to play in multiple schemes in case the Broncos do end up having a coaching change after next season and move to a different scheme.
Grade: Round 2
Where he Goes: Round 1
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