2021 NFL Draft prospect battle: Justin Fields vs. Penn State pass rush

2021 NFL Draft prospect battles: Justin Fields vs. Penn State’s pass rushers.

The 2021 NFL Draft has had an unconventional evaluation process up to this point to say the least, but fans of college football and the NFL Draft alike are going to get an absolute treat on Saturday night as Ohio State is slated to take on Penn State in a battle of ranked Big Ten schools.

Not only that, but it features one of the most exciting battles of prospects maybe not just on the day, but perhaps the whole season.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is a top-five pick candidate and possibly the second quarterback off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft, while Penn State boasts two of the top pass rushers in the country who absolutely exploded in their season openers last week.

Justin Fields’ season opener

In the Ohio State season opener, Fields was razor-sharp, completing 20-of-21 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown.

Fields was a marvel in 2019 anyway, but he showed actual improvement in his game in the 2020 season opener for Ohio State, throwing the ball with anticipation and timing, tremendous accuracy, and running the offense to near-perfection against Nebraska.

Fields has all of the talent in the world and is a perfect fit for the modern NFL with his throwing and running ability, his ability to beat you from the pocket, and his ability to maneuver around pressure.

Fields makes good decisions with the football and chooses when to scramble rather than simply looks to one read and takes off.

He is about to get a great test against Penn State and their duo of top-flight edge rush prospects.

Penn State’s pass rushers

Shaka Toney & Jayson Oweh dominate

Shaka Toney is entering his fourth season as a starter/significant contributor for the Nittany Lion’s defense. For the first three seasons of his time with Penn State, his production was fairly modest from a statistical perspective. He had two really solid seasons in 2018 and 2019 with 15 total tackles for loss and 11 total sacks.

In the Penn State season opener, he racked up seven total tackles with two sacks and two tackles for loss.

Jayson Oweh has been discussed throughout the offseason as a potential breakout player as one of the top “freaks” athletically in the country. His reported “Combine” numbers:

He did not disappoint in the season opener for Penn State.

Oweh was only credited with two tackles, no sacks, and no tackles for loss, but that alone shows how misleading statistics can be. He finished the game against Indiana with a whopping nine quarterback pressures and a variety of QB hits in the game.

The 2021 NFL Draft class off the edge does not have overwhelming production at this point, but these two Penn State players are fascinating next-level targets for teams, and Oweh — with his athletic talent and pass rush prowess — could end up being one of the highest risers in the entire process.