2021 NFL Draft: Baltimore Ravens select Jayson Oweh at KC Chiefs’ original spot

For those who were curious how the first round could have fallen for the Kansas City Chiefs if they’d not traded away the No. 31 overall selection, the Baltimore Ravens gave us an idea of how a solid franchise would approach the pick when they drafted Penn State pass rusher Jayson Oweh.

The selection of Oweh adds to the run on pass rushers in the bottom half of the first round after not a single defensive lineman was taken in the first half of the draft’s opening salvo. Other linemen taken shortly before this included Gregory Rousseau to the Buffalo Bills at No. 30, Payton Turner to the New Orleans Saints at No. 28, and Kwity Paye at No. 21. .

Oweh certainly could have fit a major need for the Chiefs opposite Frank Clark at defensive end. The Chiefs need help getting after the passer as it is with a lack of consistency from Clark and a lack of depth at end. The presence of Chris Jones certainly helps in the middle, as does the recent signing of Jarran Reed next to him, but the team only has Tim Ward, Taco Charlton and Mike Danna in terms of competitors outside on the edge.

In case the Chiefs weren’t interested in Oweh at this particular point, there were also other players worth mentioning here, including the draft’s most heralded interior lineman in Landon Dickerson, the top safety in Trevon Moehrig, cornerback Asante Samuel, Jr., and offensive tackle Teven Jenkins—just to name a few.

The Baltimore Ravens selected Jayson Oweh in Chiefs original spot.

Still it’s hard to imagine anyone is too sad with the way the Chiefs invested their first round pick by gaining a two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle in Orlando Brown Jr. The Ravens might enjoy a solid pass rusher in future seasons in the projectable Oweh, but it’s pretty safe to say that the Chiefs did well with their first-round investment. It might not have been that exciting on draft night, but the Chiefs took care of their primary need with a proven player despite some solid talent being there after all at No. 31.