Colts: 3 possible first-round draft picks that would infuriate fans
By Jerry Trotta
1. Jayson Oweh
Penn State star Jayson Oweh would be a reach for the Colts at No. 21 overall.
As previously mentioned, the Colts are in desperate need of an edge rusher. While we wouldn’t think twice about reuniting with veteran Justin Houston, it also wouldn’t hurt Ballard and Co. to start preparing for the future at the position.
After all, Houston is entering his age-32 season and the jury is still out on whether the likes of Tyquan Lewis, Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu have starter potential. With all of that being said, we would strongly urge the front office to steer clear of Jayson Oweh, who’s gained steam as a first-round prospect after his picturesque pro day.
Though Oweh oozes potential, his sheer rawness would put him in the same category as Lewis, Turay and Banogu, all of whom have really struggled to find their footing in the NFL. Given that the Colts’ roster is seemingly on the precipice of being able to compete for a championship, the last thing they need is to add another reserve edge rusher to the mix.
Now, is there a chance Oweh shocks the world and hits the ground running from Day 1? Perhaps, but we can’t ignore his lack of production for the Nittany Lions. In three seasons (20 games), the young pass rusher tallied just 63 tackles, 13.5 of which went for a loss, and seven sacks.
At 6-foot-5 and 252 pounds with a 4.44 40-yard dash in his locker, Oweh is the type of physical specimen Ballard tends to target in the draft. For as great as his track record is, however, the defensive end position is something he’s really struggled to get right over the last four years.
If the Colts end up targeting an edge rusher over a left tackle in the first round, we much rather Miami star Jaelan Phillips or Michigan standout Kwity Paye be the pick. Oweh is simply too much of a development project for a team with as high of a ceiling as Indianapolis.
