Two former Penn State players, and first-round NFL draft picks, have made a name for themselves right away in the league.
Odafe Oweh– who went by his middle name, Jayson, at Penn State and started going by his actual first name after the 2021 draft– and Micah Parsons and are both impact players for the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens, respectively.
Pro Football Focus ranks Oweh and Parsons No. 1 and 2, respectively, in quarterback pressures by rookies. Oweh has 34, and Parsons is right behind with 33.
Both players went in the first round of this year’s draft. While Parsons (drafted 12th overall by Dallas) was thought to be an obvious early pick, more people were skeptical of Oweh (drafted 31st by Baltimore) because, despite coaches voting him first-team All-Big Ten in 2020, they felt his college production (0 sacks in 2020) didn’t match his upside.
Parsons and Oweh could both be starting playoff games. Dallas and Baltimore lead their respective divisions with 7-3 records.
