FILE - Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence passes against Ohio State during the first half of the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. About the only certainty in the confounding 2021 NFL draft is Trevor Lawrence going to the Jaguars with the first overall pick Thursday night in Cleveland. This year s NFL draft is like none other because teams weren t able to meet face-to-face with the pool of prospects outside the lucky few who got to play in the Senior Bowl after a season that was marked by opt outs and cancellations.
John Bazemore - staff, AP
Penn State OLB Jayson Oweh (No. 31 overall)
Analysis: No matter what the Ravens said publicly, it was clear they wanted to find additional receivers for 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson. Bateman has the build and quickness to play in the slot if that s what the team needs but he also would test defenses at flanker or split end. The more targets Jackson has, the better the team will be.
Baltimore used the first-round selection it received from Kansas City in the Orlando Brown trade on Oweh, an elite athlete who plays with physicality off the edge. People point to his zero sacks in 2020, but he did bring down quarterbacks seven times in 13 games the previous two years. The Ravens won t ask Oweh to dominate as a rookie, allowing him to mature behind Pernell McPhee, Jaylon Ferguson and Tyus Bowser. The upside is worth the risk this late in the first round.
Top 3 things we learned about the Bills | 2021 NFL Draft night one Apr 30, 2021 at 01:53 AM
1. A first rounder with elite physical traits
Bills first-round draft pick Greg Rousseau, taken with the 30th overall pick, is a player who addresses one of Buffalo s primary positional needs on the edge of the defensive front. Picking so low in the round it was unclear at the outset what would still be on the board as the Bills picks approached.
But with 12 of the first 15 picks being offensive players it pushed some of the top defensive talent further down the board. It left Buffalo in the rare position to land an edge rusher with elite physical traits.
Bills upgrade pass rush by drafting Miami s Rousseau 30th Follow Us
Question of the Day
By JOHN WAWROW - Associated Press - Friday, April 30, 2021
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Whatever Greg Rousseau lacks in experience as a pass rusher, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane believes the University of Miami defensive end makes up for in sheer size, speed and instincts.
Add in an eagerness to continue learning, and that was enough for Beane to address Buffalo‘s key offseason need in selecting Rousseau with the 30th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
“We think Greg is on the come, a rising player that will continue to grow into his body,” Beane said. “He still has some rawness to his game. But we like who he is, and we think he’s a guy who, in time, will reach his potential.”