Las Vegas Raiders named a top fit for Penn State’s Jayson Oweh
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 17 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and there are several different ways they could go with the selection. They need help on all three levels of the defense, as Mike Mayock has stated they lack playmakers, so no matter who the pick is in the first round, it better be a defensive player.
We have scoured the internet and have seen numerous mock drafts for 2021, and nearly 100 percent of them have the Raiders going defense in round one. Unlike the previous two drafts, the Raiders only hold one first-round pick, so Mayock cannot afford to swing and miss on this selection in April.
In looking at potential fits, one name was mentioned on Saturday, and it is a freak athlete from the Big Ten who can certainly get after the quarterback.
Raiders named a top fit for Jayson Oweh
Matt Lombardo of FanSided recently wrote about the three best fits for Oweh in the 2021 NFL Draft for VictoryBellRings, FanSided’s Penn State website and the Raiders came in at No. 3 on the list. Lombardo speaks about what a freak athlete Oweh is, and with Las Vegas struggling to get after the quarterback in 2020, upgrades have to be coming along the edge.
Pro Football Focus’s Mike Renner seems to agree about Oweh’s potential, and he is someone who should hear his name called this April, possibly in round one.
"“You can’t keep players with Oweh’s level of freakish tools away from the quarterback,” Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner writes. “He’s only scratching the surface.”"
The Raiders have used draft capital on the edge before, bringing in Clelin Ferrell with pick No. 4 overall back in 2019, and then Maxx Crosby later on in that draft in the fourth round. In Oweh, they would be bringing in a player who is not only good at getting after the quarterback but also solid against the run, as he graded high in both categories according to PFF.
Whether or not it is in the first or second round, or even in free agency, the fact is the Raiders have to improve at getting to the quarterback this offseason, especially playing Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert four times a season. Oweh is an interesting prospect and has the size, speed, and power to be a solid edge rusher at the next level, it will really depend on what Mayock thinks in projectability.