From now until the 2021 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to showcase as many prospects as possible and examine both their strengths and weaknesses. Most of these profiles will feature individuals that the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have an interest in, while a few others will be top-ranked players. If there is a player you would like us to analyze, let us know in the comments below.
#28 Jayson Oweh/EDGE Penn State – 6’5 252
The Good
– Impressive looking build, frame of an NFL pass rusher with length and bulk
– Shows burst/snap off the ball
– Plus athlete and moves well in space
– High effort player who chases the ball hard
– Plays the run tough, good vision on the ball and shows ability to take on and shed blocks, beats up on TEs especially
– Hip/ankle flexion, able to bend and turn the corner, flatten upfield on his way to the QB
– Active hands and works hard as a pass rusher
– Played both end spots, a little bit of experience playing on his feet
– Still growing and has upside
The Bad
– High energy/motor player but lacks a pass rush plan and go-to move
– Too often gets stuck on blocks as a result as a pass rusher
– Lacks power to threaten tackles with bull rush
– Struggles to hold POA in run game and capable of getting washed/run out by OTs
– Goes quiet far too often
– Took big step back statistically in 2020, have to wonder why he declared as underclassmen
– Success I saw in 2020 often came in plus matchups
– Limited starting/playing experience
Bio
– 8 career starts for Nittany Lions
– Career: 63 tackles (13.5 TFL) 7 sacks, 2 FFs
– 2020: Seven games, 0 sacks
– Had five sacks in 2019
– Left school as redshirt sophomore
– Turned 22 in December of 2020
– Four-star recruit out of HS, chose Penn State over Dartmouth, Florida, Pittsburgh, Harvard, Princeton, and Notre Dame among others
Tape Breakdown
Diving into my first EDGE rusher of the season. Not the highest priority position for the Pittsburgh Steelers but one they need – and will – address sometime this April. So why not stay local and focus on Oweh?
Oweh feels like the classic college EDGE prospect. Good athlete, lot of energy, doesn’t really know what to do with it. But let’s start with the good.
Oweh is a quality athlete who runs hard to the ball and can flash on tape. The best game I watched came in 2020 against Indiana. Full disclosure, he was going against a sophomore OT in the first game of the year. Plus matchup for Oweh. But he played well, showing a great swipe, bend, and finish, especially late in the game. LDE in these two clips.
Here’s a clip of the same against Michigan. LDE here.
But Oweh is a ball of energy still figuring out his plan. Lacks a go-to move and can’t win with power, allowing tackles to sit on his speed/outside move. Too often, he’s stuck on blocks in the hand game. Works his hands but without a plan, you’re not going anywhere as a pass rusher. RDE here.
He plays the run hard and can get off blocks versus tight ends but too often gets swallowed up by offensive tackles, like here against Ohio State. RDE here.
Just as a fun fact. He seems like a really smart guy. His Penn State bio says he was considering majoring in civil engineering though ultimately became a Communication Arts & Sciences major. But there aren’t many four-star football recruits also getting offers from Ivy League schools like Harvard, Dartmouth, and Princeton. That’s impressive.
Overall, he’s your typical college EDGE prospect. Potential, upside, athleticism, all the buzz words that indicates the dude isn’t NFL ready yet. But he could be. My comparison is Aaron Lynch, at least, the Lynch coming out of college. Not the guy he is today (where Lynch’s gained 30 pounds).
Projection: Early-Mid Day Three
Games Watched: vs Idaho (2019), at Indiana, vs Ohio State, at Michigan
