Kansas City Chiefs: 3 Ravens players to watch in Week 2
By Jacob Milham
Rookie edge rusher Odafe Oweh opened his NFL career strong against the Raiders. Will his speed be too much for the Kansas City Chiefs?
A highly-touted prospect, the Ravens selected edge rusher Odafe Oweh in the first round this past draft. Coming out of Penn State, NFL analyst Lance Zierlein described him as an “explosive edge defender character” who was “raw and lacking desired starting experience.” Still, Baltimore selected Oweh 31st overall and used the preseason to see what he brings to the field. Even as a punt gunner.
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In his NFL debut, Oweh flashed some of his elite athletic potential, earning two tackles and a sack where he chased down Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
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There are two reasons why he will impact Sunday’s game. First, he played 48 snaps against the Raiders. That means that Baltimore already views him as a solid contributor, rather than a situational player such as Chiefs edge rusher Joshua Kaindoh. Despite having rushers such as Calais Campbell, Justin Houston, and Tyus Bowser, Odafe still made his mark with his raw speed.
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That speed is the reason why Kansas City Chiefs fans should watch him on Sunday. Orlando Brown admitted to not playing his best game against the Browns, but there should be little concern against Campbell and Houston. What hurt Brown and right tackle Lucas Niang were outright speed rushes, something that Oweh will rely heavily on.
If the Chiefs’ tackles cannot get to the top of the arc quickly, this may lead to several pressures by Oweh. Watch his snaps, and see if Kansas City has learned from their Week 1 mistake.