‘It’s an honor’: How former Penn State DE Odafe Oweh looks to make his mark on Ravens’ defense
Odafe Oweh wants to be the best at his position.
The current Baltimore Raven and former Penn State edge rusher has a legacy to live up to. Baltimore has had a number of defensive players who have risen to great heights — Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, standouts such as Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Peter Boulware, Rod Woodson, Chris McAllister, Michael McCrary, Jarret Johnson, Kelly Gregg, C.J. Mosley, Bart Scott and Adalius Thomas, and current players like Marcus Peters, Jimmy Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Williams and Calais Campbell, who have a combined 12 Pro Bowl selections.
But Oweh, who was selected by Baltimore as the 31st pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, feels that he can be next in line.
“It’s an honor,” Oweh said at preseason camp on Wednesday. “I try to hold myself to that standard every time I go out there [on the field], every time I go into the weight room, every time I’m in the rooms watching film and stuff like that because it’s a lot of guys behind me who were wearing my number or at my position. So, I try to take everything seriously because there were a lot of greats in my spot.
“Every rep that I take — if they appreciate that rep, if they say I worked my hardest in that rep, if they say that I really try to dominate — it’s a lot on your shoulders. But you have to be humble with it because you know that you’re in such a great program that’s going to set you up for a lot. I’m very appreciative of where I am, where I am with the Ravens, and the sky’s the limit for me. I just have to keep on learning.”
Oweh feels comfortable in Baltimore, ahead of his first NFL season. He has players at his position group who have been to high heights, others on the defensive side of the ball who will back him up when the chips are down, a battle-tested offensive line for him to battle against on a daily basis and a coaching staff that will test his acumen for the game in practice and the film room.
He also has former Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley on his team, guiding him on what the culture is like in Baltimore. McSorley was drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and has taken first-team repetitions in the absence of starting quarterback Lamar Jackson. While McSorley is looking to assert himself as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart, Oweh is on the other side, looking to compete and win an immediate starting role.
Iron sharpens iron.
“Trace just let me know that they want to win, everything is tradition here and you have to work for everything that you want and work hard,” Oweh said. “He just let me know when I got out here and took me under his wing. I go against Trace every day, so it’s a great relationship between us, despite me trying to get the sack and him not trying to get sacked. Trace is like a big brother to me.”
McSorley sat back on this year’s opening night of the draft and watched intently. He was excited to see another Penn State player come to Baltimore and indulge in the culture that the team holds.
“[Oweh] is a guy that I’ve obviously been around for a year [at Penn State in 2018],” McSorley said. “I’ve seen his trajectory keep going up from the time he got drafted and the time that he got to school at Penn State. I’m excited to have here. He’s came out and made a bunch of plays, flashing on tape. His physicality, speed and athleticism is just awesome.
“He’s a complement to our defense, it works for us on offense that much more. I was just really excited to get another Penn State guy in our locker room. There’s been a lot of Michigan guys around here. So, to have that Penn State connection, I was really excited for.”
The 6-foot-5, 257-pound Oweh looks every bit of the part of a terrifying defensive star in the making. He’s explosive, gets out of his stance with speed and precision, has the ability to cover receivers in the slot and punishes his foes at the point of attack. Those abilities may not always translate to the so-called “sexy stats”, as Oweh posted just seven sacks throughout his college career. However, one of his key contributions is his high motor — an attribute that showed up in his performance against Indiana last season — pressuring the quarterback 13 times.
He showed off his high motor on Wednesday’s training camp day by pushing Ravens right tackle Alejandro Villanueva into the backfield, releasing him and wrapping up the running back. Whether it was the six-year veteran tackle blocking him or the youthful trio of guards in Ben Powers, Ben Bredeson or Ben Cleveland, Oweh caused problems with his speed, strength and technique.
His versatility allows him to be used in a number of different ways in defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale’s scheme. Naturally a 3-4 base defense, the Ravens employ a number of packages that allow for pass rushers like Oweh and others to pin their ears back and get to the quarterback, set the edge on rush defense or play tight ends one-on-one in pass coverage. While Oweh only had seven snaps in pass coverage at Penn State in two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus, Martindale believes that his hustle and intensity will translate.
“I’ve said it before, with other people sitting here, this kid, he’s going to be a good one,” Martindale said. “Don’t worry about it — we’re going to find ways to get him on the quarterback, because he’s going to get there, and he’s going to get there really fast. So, I have great hopes for him. I think that he’s going to be a great football player for us, and I don’t just throw around the word great. I think he’s going to be a problem.”
The excitement trickles down to Oweh, who now sees an opportunity to succeed under linebackers coach Rob Ryan and Martindale’s tutelage. The duo expects the most out of him, not only for his athletic ability, but his intelligence and capacity to diagnose plays on the fly. They grill him on his football intellect on a daily basis and he rises to the occasion.
“I’m in like outside linebacker/defensive 101 — the origin [of defense],” Oweh said. “I feel like I’m learning from the best people and Wink continues to put me in great situations to be able to succeed and always have a one-on-one. He just sending me to pressure all of the time. It’s really exciting to be in this defense because I know I’m just going to grow and continue to reach my highest potential.”
Ravens outside linebacker Tyus Bowser has been in a similar situation to Oweh. Bowser was selected with the 47th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and found himself behind a veteran outside linebacker group with the likes of Suggs, Matthew Judon and Za’Darius Smith. Every day was a grind for Bowser, having to compete each day against two would-be Pro Bowlers and a future Hall of Fame talent at his position.
With the selection of Oweh and Notre Dame defensive end Daelin Hayes in this year’s draft, excitement is high surrounding the two players. The two players have already made their mark in camp in a number of ways and are wreaking havoc on their teammates on the offensive line. Bowser is bestowing his knowledge upon the two rookies to make sure that they stay on the right track.
“This is the toughest time, right now, just trying to grind it out for a whole month of training camp,” Bowser said. “And just really going out there embracing the moment, being around the guys, working hard and just learning from the vets. And then really just showcasing your skills. We’re all out here to get a job, and those guys are definitely talented, and they’re going to do great things for us. So, just really going out here, taking advantage of the moment and taking advantage of each and every day when we’re out there.”
