Penn State’s Jayson Oweh Drafted 31st by Baltimore Ravens
By Evan Smith
The Baltimore Ravens drafted Penn State’s Jayson Oweh 31st overall in the first-round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Jayson Oweh was always going to be the “most interesting” Nittany Lion to follow in the 2021 NFL Draft. Sure, he wasn’t going to be the first Nittany Lion off the board. That was always going to be Micah Parsons, who was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys No. 12 overall. But not even Micah had the raw athleticism of Jayson Oweh.
There’s a reason several NFL scouts were “pounding the table” after his impressive pro day. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds and impressed with a 39.5 inch vertical leap. But there’s a reason Oweh wasn’t a top 10 pick like those numbers may have suggested.
Albeit in a COVID-19 shortened season, Oweh did not post a single sack for the Nittany Lions. Yes, he had back to back 9+ tackle games (vs Maryland, 10 and @ Nebraska, 9) but there is a clear concern that the metrics simply won’t translate to the field, like recent Penn State draft pick Aaron Maybin.
Troy Pauline of Pro Football Network summed up Oweh simply by stating “explosive but undersized defensive end with great athleticism. He is explosive, quick and fast up the field but he must fill out his frame to play out of a three point stance.”
Remember, ESPN’s draft expert Mel Keiper did not think Oweh made the right decision to declare for the NFL Draft, stating “I understand it’s not all about sacks but Shaka Toney had five sacks on the other side…when you come out with no sacks and no forced fumbles and you’re an edge guy, you haven’t really put it together yet.”