2021 NFL Draft defensive end rankings: Ronnie Perkins leads a deep class
By John Blair
2. Jayson Oweh, Penn State
6-foot-5, 252 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: First round
One of the first things usually said about Penn State defensive end Jayson Oweh is that he didn’t have great production because he didn’t record a sack last year. This is overblown though as Oweh has put up decent numbers throughout his career. He was named to the All-Big Ten team last year after registering 38 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. He also was able to account for five sacks in 2019. While his production has not been outstanding it has also not been horrible.
Oweh has all the physical skills you could ever want in a defensive end. One of these skills is his blistering speed as he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at 256 pounds. This speed translates on the field as he is a terror off the edge. He holds up well against the run as well, earning an 89.7 run-defense grade by Pro Football Focus. He shows good strength as a run defender and has the ability to either make the play when ran at or chase down a play run away from him.
Got the following #’s from well regarded speed coach Ryan Capretta of @proactivesp. Jayson Oweh: 4.34 hand/ 4.38 laser —> Jaycee Horn: 4.39 hand/ 4.42 laser. —> Micah Parsons: 4.41 hand/ 4.44 laser. Capretta correctly timed Isaiah Simmons last year at 4.38 laser b4 the combine.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 8, 2021
The area Oweh definitely needs to improve on is his overall technique, since he currently wins most battles with pure athletic ability. He shows very little in terms of pass-rushing moves and needs to do a better job of using his hands to get off blocks. His footwork needs some work as well since he can take missteps at times. One more area he needs to improve is his recognition skills since he can lose track of the ball at times.
While Oweh is a long way from reaching his potential he has the natural ability to become a dominant player in the NFL. Due to this potential, he will likely be a first-round pick.