CBS Sports Has Steelers Taking PSU Edge Jayson Oweh, QB in Latest Two-Round Mock

The Steelers pick an edge rusher and a quarterback in CBS Sports’ latest two-round mock 2021 NFL Draft from Ryan Wilson.

In Wilson’s latest mock draft updated on Monday, the Steelers chose Penn State edge rusher Jayson Oweh with the 24th pick in the first round and Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond in the second round.

The selection of Oweh came after Wilson mocked six tackles and one running back to be off the board before the Steelers picked.

“The Steelers need a QB, offensive tackle, RB and CB,” Wilson wrote. “But given the way the board fell they opt for a pass rusher. Oweh is raw but has the physical tools the Steelers covet, and in a few years we could be talking about him the way we were talking about Bud Dupree once he grew into his role.”

Oweh is a 6-foot-5, 253-pounder that played defensive end at Penn State and would be making the transition to outside linebacker in the Steelers’ 3-4 scheme. Oweh did not start for the Lions until his redshirt sophomore season of 2020, and made just a total of eight starts in his career.

Last fall, he was fourth on the team with 38 tackles and second with 6.5 tackles for loss, but failed to record a quarterback sack. 

Oweh had an impressive performance at Penn State’s pro day, with a 4.36-second 40-yard dash after weighing in at 257 pounds the highlight, with Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin in attendance.

As Wilson mentioned, the Steelers do have a need at edge rusher after the departures of Bud Dupree and Ola Adeniyi, but it’s not an immediately pressing need with 2020 rookie Alex Highsmith expected to step into a starting role across from T.J. Watt.

1/26/21 Practice SeniorBowl
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Photo by Jeff Hanson

Mond is a player the Steelers got a good look at during the Senior Bowl. The Aggies’ starter amassed 9,661 passing yards and 71 touchdowns over a four-year career in College Station. 

He’s generally considered to be about the seventh-best quarterback in the class, behind projected first-round picks Trevor Lawrence (Clemsons), Zach Wilson (BYU), Justin Fields (Ohio State), Trey Lance (North Dakota State) and Mac Jones (Alabama) and Florida’s Kyle Trask.