Odafe Oweh has been in the NFL for three years now. A former first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens, he is still trying to live up to his pedigree. While he made some strides last season, they need him to step up this year. They lost Jadeveon Clowney in free agency following a renaissance season, so it’s his turn at the plate. And he is ready to swing.
“If you don’t put high expectations on yourself, you won’t even get close to the level you want”, Oweh told the team’s website. “I’m not trying to be perfect, but I’m chasing perfection, as close as I can get to it. I put high expectations on myself because I believe I can get to that level. God gave me broad shoulders for a reason”.
Oweh has started 13 out of 45 games in his three seasons in Baltimore. In that time, he has played 1,686 snaps, but saw a career-low 437 in 2023 after missing four games. He has 99 career tackles with 16 for loss, 13 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles. While he only put up 23 tackles in 2023, he had a career-high five sacks.
Veteran Kyle Van Noy has taken Oweh under his wing and anticipates watching him fly this season. “I try to keep him next to me all the time and make sure he’s always pressing and doing the right thing”, he said, calling him “a specimen”.
Van Noy added that he expects Oweh to “bounce off the charts” this season, noting that he showed signs previously. “It’s amazing to see how mature he’s gotten already. I’m excited to see his future, and I’ll be his cheerleader, that’s for sure”.
It has been a long time since the Ravens have drafted a high-quality edge defender. They managed it in back-to-back years in 2015-16 with Za’Darius Smith and Matt Judon. None, however, have produced sufficiently since then, including Odafe Oweh.
Nobody ever questioned his tools, even though he wasn’t highly productive in college. Oweh failed to record a sack in seven games during the 2020 season—admittedly the COVID year. He did have five sacks the previous season in 13 games. But at 6-5, 257 pounds, and an insane 3.36-second 40-yard dash, he has always looked the part.
Oweh figuratively ran himself into the first round, admittedly at the tail end. He is far from a bad player, certainly not a bust, but the Ravens need him to step up and become a full-time starter with consistent production, beginning now.
While they have Justin Madubuike along the interior, the Ravens haven’t had a quality homegrown pass rusher for some time. They have managed to create pressure piecemeal through scheme, but I’m sure they wish they had their own T.J. Watt. Oweh isn’t going to magically turn into Watt, but he has the tools required to dominate.
