Scouting The Draft: Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB, Indiana (PA)

Taking a break from all the Jason Taylor talk for a few minutes, we are starting to wind down the draft prospects now. If you do have any in particular that you want a report on, then my email is at the bottom. I've just about got through all the players I wanted to look at, and Owusu-Ansah is a guy that I have been meaning to do for some time, after somebody mentioned him around a month ago now.

Ansah is definitely an interesting prospect, he has good size, good speed and good cover skills. Is he a safety or is he a corner? I think he could play both positions in the NFL, so it will be up to a NFL coaching team to decide where to push him. He has played both positions in college, and most people I talked to loved his range and speed so much, they saw him more as a ball hawking center fielder than a cover guy at the next level.

Add his defensive skills, with his ability to return the football, a lot of teams are showing some serious interest in the division II prospect, and for good reason, he could find himself coming off the board in the late 2nd if someone really likes him, but more likely, he will be a 3rd round guy. Which is frustrating for us, because again, we don't have one, and I can't see any way he lasts until the 20's in the 4th round.

Height: 6'0

Weight: 207lb's

Career Stats

2006- 10 games played, 20 tackles, 3 passes broken up,

2007- 12 GP, 12 tackles, 2 PBU

2008- 11 GP, 14 tackles, 10 PBU, 8 INT

2009- 11 GP, 27 tackles, 4 PBU, 2 INT

* 2 year start in 2008/2009, teams rarely threw at him, tackles are low.

What Does Akwasi Owusu-Ansah Do Well?

He posses the 5 attributes of a good defensive back, size/speed/length/hands/recognition. Most scouts love his active hands, and the one season teams tested him he came down with 8 interceptions and 10 pass break ups. He has excellent range, and reads the quarterback well. Keeps his receiver in areas where the catch is difficult. Plays a physical game, and can lay a hit when he needs to. Has excellent closing speed, and when the ball is in the air, he makes up a lot of ground, closing windows that seemed open when the QB released the ball. Has excellent strong arms, with good length. Didn't play too much against the run, and teams barely threw at him, so his tackling stats are down. Very confident player who plays with controlled aggression.

What Does Akwasi Owusu-Ansah Need To Improve On?

Obviously being a division II player, some will question the level of competition and whether he can do it with the big boys. He lost an opportunity to prove that after missing post season all star games with a shoulder injury. Sometimes needs with his shoulder, and doesn't wrap the tackler up. Not seen the whole tree of pro routes, and could struggle, as his backpedal is still very raw, and he will need to be coached up. Mostly played off his man in college, and has seen little press coverage.

Final Word

Ansah is an interesting prospect, but I'm not sure how he fits with the Jets. He doesn't really play press coverage, which we play a lot, and his tackling is still too raw to move him to safety. Saying that he has all the intangibles to be a good NFL player. I personally wouldn't take him in the 2nd, and he won't last to our pick in the 4th, and I'm not sure he is worth trading up for. A player with a high ceiling but a long ladder to climb. I'm sure Rex could find ways to use him, and wouldn't mind him being on the Jets next year, but he is a mid 3rd round prospect. Our 2nd pick is too high, and our 4th is too low. We would have to do some moving and shaking to get in the right position.

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