The Washington Commanders have shown their hand; they are betting on an ascending Odafe Oweh to elevate their front seven. The 27-year-old defensive end signed a four-year, $100 million contract during free agency with Washington, and for me, GM Adam Peters and company only hit on this signing if Oweh is a consistent, productive pass rusher.
Washington signed Oweh at a great time; he is entering his peak and has high upside as a pass rusher. In the latest Trap or Dive film session, I broke down what Washington is getting from Oweh right now and highlighted the consistency issues that have not yet fully developed into an all-around edge defender.
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What is most impressive about Oweh is his willingness to dive deep into his pass-rush toolbox. Oweh has an effective speed-to-power rush, as well as secondary moves to win engagements with offensive linemen. Oweh’s chop-rip is his most effective rush move with hand usage, but he also has the ability to set linemen up with swim moves. In the film session, I break down how he wins in these situations, but his athleticism is even more impressive. In straight-line situations, he can really affect quarterbacks and the pass game. He has elite foot speed for a defensive end and has very good closing speed, too, which is most noticeable in straight-line situations where he isn’t required to navigate through much traffic toward the quarterback.
Oweh is not an effective edge defender against the run, which makes his ability to win in the pass game even more critical for both him and Washington. Oweh’s main inconsistency lies in his ability to find the football and take on blocks outside of the tackles. He also struggles to consistently disengage blocks and make a play on the ball carrier as a playside run defender. In the film session, we’ll highlight specific aspects of his game against the run where Oweh has room for improvement.
Will Oweh and Washington be a great fit? We will see. His alignment versatility allows him to play all across the defensive line, so new DC Daronte Jones has a good player in that aspect and should be able to create advantages because of it.
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