2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Edge Jayson Oweh, Penn State
EDGE JAYSON OWEH
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 257 lbs.
Class: Sophomore (red shirt)
School: Penn State
An incredible athlete who was a four-star recruit coming out of Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. Oweh was the second-ranked Jersey recruit in the 2018 cycle and the fourth-ranked defensive end prospect.
Despite not recording a sack in the 2020 season, Oweh found himself a First Team All Big-10 player, voted by the coaches; all other outlets had Oweh on their second team.
Oweh added over 30 pounds to his frame while on campus at Penn State. He’s recorded 54 pressures through 409 pass-rushing reps, according to Pro Football Focus.
He had 63 tackles, 13.5 for a loss, seven sacks (none in 2020), and two passes defended/forced fumbles. Oweh had 21 STOPS on 171 run defense snaps in 2020, which is good in STOPS per run snap.
What may be most intriguing about Oweh is the athletic upside and measurements. On his pro day, Oweh measured with 34 ½” arms which is 88th percentile. He tested in the 100th percentile in the 40-yard-dash (4.39) and the broad jump (134”), which is incredible.
Oweh also had a 1.59 10-yard-split which is 88th percentile, a 4.15 short-shuttle, 95th percentile, and a 40” vertical jump, 96th percentile for the EDGE position. His 6.84 3-cone drill is also in the 96th percentile.
The only testing metric he failed to “wow” in was his 21 reps at 225 pounds, which comes out to the 39th percentile, but the long arms don’t help his ability to bench.
These testing numbers are genuinely freakish, and a team may select Oweh in the first round due to the immense potential of these natural physical traits.
Traits
Physical freak of nature who has incredible potential due to rare athletic abilities highlighted by rare explosiveness, change of direction ability, and just overall twitch/bend. Oweh looks the part--very long, shredded, thick lower body. Athletic traits do jump out on tape, it’s not just testing numbers.
Quick nature and first step give him a good advantage when rushing the passer. Could have a more developed plan when attacking tackles--he can give up his chest at times.
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He has the hips and the fluid nature to win the half-man relationship up the arc, dip, rip and flatten to the quarterback. Shows good play strength and ability to generate speed to power rushes. He is still a bit raw, but the potential is sky-high.
He can generate push at the point of attack, but his hands could pack a more consistent pop. He may be best utilized, early on, from a wide-angle where he can maximize his bend, burst, and ability to turn at the top of the arc.
A difficult unblocked run defender who uses his unique athletic traits to make the quarterback wrong on zone-reads. He can quickly collapse inside or use his length and suddenness to explode outside and make tackles in pursuit. He has such a good spring in his step. Did see him get blindsided a bit too much in the split-zone type of concepts--he could be a bit more aware as a run defender.
He can set a firm edge when he’s patient and doesn’t just attack; he doesn’t do the best job keeping his chest clean in attack mode. The processing isn’t exactly there yet to maximize his athletic traits and strength. I would like to see him be a bit more decisive as a run defender, but he has the potential to be a good run defender.
Overall, Oweh is an athletic outlier who could be effective in a limited snap role early on in the NFL. I think he needs to develop his ability to consistently rush the passer in terms of having more pass rush moves; he can also stand to be a better run defender, especially in terms of his eye discipline.
However, I would invite this selection in the second round for the Giants. He may be a bit raw, but players just don’t have this type of athletic ability, length, and upside. I feel this coaching staff could be able to develop this young player into something special.
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