NFL Draft 2021 Scouting Report: OLB/EDGE Jayson Oweh, Penn State

*Our LB grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, leaked Wonderlic test results, etc. We will update ratings as new info becomes available.

Here’s all you need to know about Jayson Oweh as an NFL prospect…

Great athlete, he’s exactly what you want an NFL Defensive End prospect to look like physically, and test like athletically, only he can’t pass rush or pressure worth a shit.

Sorry, had to use some of my French as a second language there.

So, which way should we lean? He supposedly runs in the 4.3s (so, probably 4.4s) at 6’4”+/252 pounds…that’s elite type movement. BUT he played seven games in 2020 as a starting EDGE rusher and had 0.0 sacks. He has just ONE sack in his last 12 games going back to 2019 season.

So, do you want the athletic upside and some people’s ‘freak’ label…or are you getting the totally dud pass rusher from a three-year college career in the Big Ten? That’s the dilemma for an NFL personnel department.

What do I see? It’s a mixed bag. I could see what I wanted to see, really. I watch the tape of him against Ohio State or Michigan, etc., and he’s barely even getting pressure… much less getting sacks. However, you can see some moments where he does flash some speed/strength against his blocker…you can also see him chasing down ballcarriers pretty well, because he is fast/athletic. You see flashes of something, but you just don’t see enough of it.

Oweh’s tape is SUPER boring. His college career highlight reel needs to be stretched out with filler to get to two minutes’ worth of video (usually, I see 4-8-10+ minutes for highlights on top players).

If you’re banking your scouting of Oweh on his tape or output – he’s a bust to be avoided. If you base his scouting on his athletic upside and the thought that ‘he can be coached up’, then you take him and pray.

He’s a draft and pray/groom/develop prospect…it’s that simple. NFL teams usually DO NOT want to waste valuable draft pick assets on something that MIGHT hit 2-3 years from now. This conundrum should disqualify Oweh from being a 1st-round pick, but with the NFL…you never know the lengths to which scouts or a GM can fall in love (delusionally, mostly) with a prospect.

1st-round athleticism…with day three, late day three, tape/output.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder here, but man is he an uninspiring watch…

Jayson Oweh, Through the Lens of Our OLB Scouting Algorithm:

 -- No sacks in 7 games in 2020 season.

 -- Faced Ohio State and Michigan two times each in the past two seasons/his main time as a starter for PSU…3.3 tackles, 0.1 TFLs, 0.0 sacks per game. 

 -- 20 career games, 19 of them without forcing a fumble (not good for a pass rusher prospect of high regard).

 -- 0-2 solo tackles in a game in 16 of his 20 career games…he’s not, statistically, in on the action. 

Pro Day Estimates: 

6’4”+/252. 34” arms, 10” hands

4.4+ 40-time, 7.20 +/- three-cone

The Historical OLB Prospects to Whom Jayson Oweh Most Compares Within Our System:

Oweh is tracking with high-end athletes (on paper) of the past…who were underwhelming pass rushers statistically, which makes total sense. But, for the upside note – Carter and Sweat (below) have been better in the pros than college, though not fully ever breaking out into becoming entrenched starters/stars.

Our system cannot grade him well/positively – his college career was just so awful. Even baking in ‘upside’ and ‘growth potential’ we still get to an under ‘5’ graded prospect. 

*A score of 8.00+ is where we see a stronger correlation of LBs going on to become NFL good/great/elite. A score of 10.00+ is more rarefied air in our system, and indicates a greater probability of becoming an NFL elite LB.

All of the LB ratings are based on a 0–10 scale, but a player can score negative, or above a 10.0 in certain instances.

Tackle-Strength Metrics = A combination of several physical and performance measurements. An attempt to classify the LB prospect's ability to stop the run, as well as a gauge of how physical the player is and the likelihood of higher tackle counts in the NFL. All based on profiles of LBs historically.

Speed-Agility Metrics = A combination of several speed, agility, and size measurements...as well as game performance data to profile a LB for speed/agility based on LBs historically. A unique measuring system to look for LBs that profile for quickness, pass-coverage ability, and general ability to cover more ground.

Pass Rush Metrics = A combination of the physical measurements, but also proven on-field ability to get to the QB/backfield in college.

2021 NFL Draft Outlook:

A varied opinion in the draft universe on Oweh. I see him mostly ranked as a 1st-round pick and as the #1 EDGE rusher in (a weak) 2021 class. But I also see a sizeable minority that has him as a 2nd-round prospect, later 2nd-round.

In the end, I’ll bet a nickel he’s a 2nd-rounder…but if he lights up a home cooking Pro Day, he could get himself into the 1st-round for sure. 

NFL Outlook:   

Most likely a guy who gets multiple chances to work because of his athleticism, but never makes it as a big-time player. 

I believe a team should try to push him as a 3-4 OLB and do as much run stopping, pass defending along with the pass rushing to maximize his talents. He has high-end NFL gifts…maybe EDGE is not the best place to deploy them. 

3/17/2021