Two other middle linebacker options besides Zaven Collins at 28: Jayson Oweh and Joseph Ossai (1 Viewer)

[LoE]

ESPN posted an article yesterday suggesting Saints will trade with the Colts to #21. Colts want to move down, get extra picks. It's just speculation, but there might be something to this.

TRADE

 

[NOFALCONS10]

ESPN posted an article yesterday suggesting Saints will trade with the Colts to #21. Colts want to move down, get extra picks. It's just speculation, but there might be something to this.

TRADE

If they trade up for anyone other than Mac Jones or Collins I will throw a TV out of the window.

 

[LoE]

Might want to get the order in now, get it shipped. I suggest a 4K 65".

 

[NOFALCONS10]

Might want to get the order in now, get it shipped. I suggest a 4K 65".

I know.

Been intending to buy one of those newfangled OLEDS for a while now anyway.

 

[mtq79]

I feel like that "proposed trade" was part of the article where they mock traded every pick. I wouldn't put much stock in it outside of a topic of discussion.

 

[Trey W.]

I can see Oweh as an OLB in a 3-4 scheme, but asking him to play LB in a 4-3 or any scheme where he would have to cover someone is asking him to fail. If all you needed was athletic ability to be a great LB then we would have had many (Martez Wilson, Anthony, Cie Grant, etc) but it actually takes smarts, being able to read and anticipate, & coverage ability. If we draft him he will most likely be an Edge Rusher, we don’t need projects in the 1st and 2nd rounds.

 

[trux]

The thing I like about the pick being a LB vs CB is that it impacts multiple Le levels of the defense vs a safety or DL where the quick release or scheme can minimize the impact of those players but if you have an athletic LB, it creates room for secondary to play a little more loosely and DL to attack more aggressively.

 

[NOFALCONS10]

I can see Oweh as an OLB in a 3-4 scheme, but asking him to play LB in a 4-3 or any scheme where he would have to cover someone is asking him to fail. If all you needed was athletic ability to be a great LB then we would have had many (Martez Wilson, Anthony, Cie Grant, etc) but it actually takes smarts, being able to read and anticipate, & coverage ability. If we draft him he will most likely be an Edge Rusher, we don’t need projects in the 1st and 2nd rounds.

For Starters look at the difference between the players.

Oweh has much better Change of direction as evidenced by his 3 cone.

Unlike All 3 players you mentioned Oweh had a sub 7.00 3 cone.

He's also Bigger and faster than all of them.

 

[NOFALCONS10]

I can see Oweh as an OLB in a 3-4 scheme, but asking him to play LB in a 4-3 or any scheme where he would have to cover someone is asking him to fail. If all you needed was athletic ability to be a great LB then we would have had many (Martez Wilson, Anthony, Cie Grant, etc) but it actually takes smarts, being able to read and anticipate, & coverage ability. If we draft him he will most likely be an Edge Rusher, we don’t need projects in the 1st and 2nd rounds.

Cie Grant wasn't even very athletic by linebacker standards.

He has a pretty subpar everything workout.

Curtis Grant | Combine Results | ILB - Ohio State

NFL Scouting Combine and Pro Day scores, percentiles and metrics for Curtis Grant, ILB, Ohio State.

nflcombineresults.com

 

[B_doggman47]

I can see Oweh as an OLB in a 3-4 scheme, but asking him to play LB in a 4-3 or any scheme where he would have to cover someone is asking him to fail. If all you needed was athletic ability to be a great LB then we would have had many (Martez Wilson, Anthony, Cie Grant, etc) but it actually takes smarts, being able to read and anticipate, & coverage ability. If we draft him he will most likely be an Edge Rusher, we don’t need projects in the 1st and 2nd rounds.

Oweh is a tweener. He doesn't have the size to play DE @ 252#. But he does project as an OLB in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense and he can drop off the line to play in space. He's real fluid moving around the field to play in space.

 

[NOFALCONS10]

Oweh is a tweener. He doesn't have the size to play DE @ 252#. But he does project as an OLB in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense and he can drop off the line to play in space. He's real fluid moving around the field to play in space.

He's 257.

The same size as Junior Gallette and roughly the same size as Alex Okafor and Marcus Davenport.

He can play DE.

He might even end up being very good there, especially at LE like Danielle Hunter, but I just project him better at LB.

 

[Trey W.]

For Starters look at the difference between the players.

Oweh has much better Change of direction as evidenced by his 3 cone.

Unlike All 3 players you mentioned Oweh had a sub 7.00 3 cone.

He's also Bigger and faster than all of them.

Being able to move is one thing, being able to read, anticipate, shed blocks, cover a RB are completely different. I’m not saying he can’t do these things, but unless he’s played LB before and already has those skills already is setting him up for failure if you move him to LB in a 4-3 or a 4-2-5 like we run.

 

[BreesHOF2024]

NOFalcons, would you be drafting Collins to play off-ball LB or DE for us? Latest weigh in had him 270, to me that's him saying he wants to rush the passer at the LOS.

You already know my take on position changes, Ossai playing LB'er before calms those a bit, it'd still be terrifying taking Oweh in the 1st. Either way, whoever we take just hope to god they can actually be a solid player at LB for us.

 

[NOFALCONS10]

Being able to move is one thing, being able to read, anticipate, shed blocks, cover a RB are completely different. I’m not saying he can’t do these things, but unless he’s played LB before and already has those skills already is setting him up for failure if you move him to LB in a 4-3 or a 4-2-5 like we run.

Look at Anthony Barr.

He was another guy I liked coming out.

He actually played running back, wideout, and TE before switching to linebacker.

In his first year at linebacker he had 13.5 sacks and 21 tfls.

Anthony Barr (American football) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[NOFALCONS10]

NOFalcons, would you be drafting Collins to play off-ball LB or DE for us? Latest weigh in had him 270, to me that's him saying he wants to rush the passer at the LOS.

You already know my take on position changes, Ossai playing LB'er before calms those a bit, it'd still be terrifying taking Oweh in the 1st. Either way, whoever we take just hope to god they can actually be a solid player at LB for us.

I've seen Levon Kirkland play mlb at 300lbs.

Nothing would surprise me.

I also dont think that losing 10lbs is a very big task if he wanted to.

To answer your question, no, I see him as a MLB. He had the best coverage grade for a linebacker ever by PFF.