Patriots: 3 first-round talents Bill Belichick needs to avoid

2. Jayson Oweh

The Patriots would be reaching if they drafted Jayson Oweh in the first round.

The Patriots made a splash in free agency when they signed Matt Judon, who should go a long way towards shoring up their non-existent pass rush from last season.

While that’s all well and good, however, there’s an argument to be had in terms of who will line up opposite the two-time Pro Bowler. Though Kyle Van Noy is a candidate to challenge for the team lead in sacks, he’s predominantly deployed as either an inside or outside linebacker.

In other words, the Patriots could get away with drafting an edge rusher at No. 15. If it were up to us, however, they would steer clear of Jayson Oweh, who is gaining steam as a high first-round pick after his mesmerizing pro day.

While we understand why teams are being drawn to Oweh’s raw athleticism — he’s 6-foot-5, 252 pounds and ran a 4.33 40-yard dash — his lack of production at Penn State is a major red flag in our eyes. For context, he finished with 38 tackles (6.5 for loss) and zero sacks in his final season.

Remind us again why some analysts have penciled Oweh in as a potential top-20 pick? Over three years in the Nittany Lions’ esteemed program, he compiled just seven sacks.

History has proven that you don’t need eye-popping stats in college to pan out in the NFL, but we have minimal evidence to suggest the young edge rusher falls into that category. Though Oweh’s burst off the line and prowess against the run are intriguing, we see him as more of a multi-year project than a readymade starter.

The Patriots are already currently invested in a pair of young pass rushers, like Josh Uche and Chase Winovich, who need time to develop. Because of that, they would be better served targeting another position entirely.

In the rare chance that they do fancy an edge rusher, however, we’d much rather Kwity Paye or Jaelan Phillips be the pick.