Denver Broncos NFL Draft: 1st-rounders George Paton saw at pro days

4/5. Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State; Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State

Paton attended the Penn State pro day where the Denver Broncos brought in KJ Hamler a year ago at this time.

This time, the focus at Penn State is on the defensive side of the ball, depending on how highly Paton thinks of Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth.

Specifically, on defense, the first-round options under the microscope were linebacker Micah Parsons and edge player Jayson Oweh. Those two did not disappoint in their workouts to say the least.

It’s clear that both of these guys are elite athletes at their positions, although they are considered raw in some regards.

Parsons, in particular, carries more question marks than areas he needs improvement on the field. Maturity has come into question with Parsons since his high school days and you have to wonder how much digging into off-field the rest of the league has had to do on him to know whether he’s worthy of a first-round investment, much less the 9th overall pick.

Oweh is still fairly new to football, but his raw talent is undeniable. He didn’t have any sacks in 2020, but he was getting all over the quarterback with pressures.

In my opinion, neither of these players are legitimate options for the Denver Broncos in the first round unless it’s in a trade-down scenario. Although Parsons has the talent to be selected 9th overall, you have to clear his off-field issues first.

If Paton does that, heck, Parsons could be a steal at 9 overall.