About two weeks ago, Carlos Holmes wrote a piece that the Bengals were very interested in IUP defensive back Akwasi Owusu-Ansah. He worked out during Ohio State University's Pro Day on March 12. Gil Brandt writes.
Owusu-Ansah built on his solid NFL Scouting Combine workout with an outstanding pro day. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 and 4.41 seconds, had a 4.19-second short shuttle and did 21 bench press repetitions at 225 pounds.
Expected to be a mid-round draft picked, Owusu-Ansah stuck around tOSU's Pro Day to "run drills with Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle."
In an interview with NFL Draft Blitz, Owusu-Ansah said that be believes he's still raw when asked about areas in his game that needs improvement. "I definitely need to work on my technique to be a better DB. I need to work on my backpedaling. I am very raw. I am learning a lot from the guys that I am training with here. They are from the D-I schools. I need to continue to refine my technique and work on the little things that make DB’s better."
Other areas that could interest Cincinnati are his return skills (NFL Draft Scout writes that he recorded nine career touchdowns on return), which most scouts and analysts rate highly, and his versatility, being able to play both cornerback and safety. If I've learned anything about the Marvin Lewis era Bengals, it's that they value players that are more than the one-dimension, one-position type of players. "I think that I bring untapped potential and hard work not only as a corner, but on special teams as well", says Owusu-Ansah. "I think that I am very coachable. I am a guy that can make a difference in the game."
Don't you get the feeling that this is a Marvin type of guy?