The Baltimore Ravens got off to a good start in the 2021 NFL Draft when they drafted Rashod Bateman. It didn’t take long for the Ravens to follow that up by taking Jayson Oweh with the 31st pick.
Oweh came to Baltimore with the extra first-round pick that came from the Kansas City Chiefs. Oweh is an edge rusher out of Penn State. Oweh looks the part with a big 6-5 frame over 250 pounds. He’s got traits that give him a lot of potential.
The Buffalo Bills took Gregory Rosseau with the 30th overall pick, right before the Ravens took Oweh. It’s very possible that the Ravens would have drafted Rosseasu if he were available. Oweh was the second of three straight edge players to be selected. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Joe Tryon out of Washington to finish the first round.
The Ravens attacked two needs with their two first-round picks. They got their wide receiver with Rashod Bateman. They got a pass rusher with Oweh. Eric DeCosta could have easily gone with an offensive tackle. Tevin Jenkins and Samuel Cosmi were still on the board.
With all of this in mind, how should we grade DeCosta’s work with the 31st overall pick?
The Bottom Line:
This pick felt forced. Oweh is a boom or bust prospect. He’s either going to be a very rewarding pick or it’s going to be one of the most second-guessed picks in franchise history. It’s hard to gauge how much of an immediate impact this pick will have on the team. Oweh’s lack of production in 2020 is a factor in the grade.
The first round ended very shortly after the Ravens made their second pick of the evening. There are some first-round leftovers that would have made amazing picks for the Ravens. While this isn’t the pick that I would have gone with, DeCosta has a sound reason behind this pick
Oweh is from a school that produces good defensive players. Oweh has an incredibly high ceiling. The Ravens took a shot here. After getting Bateman with their first pick, they chose to balance things out and give the defense something. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with Oweh. He’s very promising.