Owen Heinecke

● Solid athlete; doesn’t look out of his element moving in space ● Downhill speed angles to squeeze through gaps ● Feels cutback lanes with agility to put himself in position to plant runners ● Sound read-and-react process, which reflect his coachability ● Flashes chase skills to clean up plays from distance ● Adequate in transitions, with some twitch covering backs and tight ends ● Accustomed to overcoming long odds ● Mental toughness was welcomed in the program (NFL scout: “I know how bummed those coaches were they couldn’t have him longer.”) ● Special teams were an opportunity, not an affront

● Short-armed player and lacks desired size for NFL linebacker ● Inexperience shows in multiple ways, including pre-snap anticipation ● Aggressive hands but not going to overpower anyone as stack-and-shed player ● Fearless tackling ability but lacks discipline in approach and finish ● Unnecessary roughness flag for late hit versus South Carolina in 2025 ● Underdeveloped cover instincts — often late to find catch windows ● Started a grand total of five games in college

A part-time starter at Oklahoma, Heinecke played both the Mike and Will spots in head coach Brent Venables’ defense. A former Ohio State lacrosse player, he walked on to play football at Oklahoma and became a special-teamer, combining for just 30 defensive snaps his first three years in Norman. His role expanded in 2025, however, and he was eventually elevated into a starting role over the second half of the season. He was hoping to return to Oklahoma for 2026, but the NCAA denied his waiver request. Not even Oklahoma was pushing Heinecke as an NFL prospect over the summer, and he didn’t consider the draft a realistic option until midway through the 2025 season. On the one hand, his inexperience is obvious, especially in his reactions and finishing skills as a tackler (16 missed tackles in 2025). On the other hand, you can tell how well-coached he is by the way he trusts his eyes and athleticism to make plays. Overall, Heinecke is undersized and still developing in key areas, but he hasn’t lost his walk-on mentality and has what it takes to become an NFL linebacker and special-teamer. He has yet to play his best football, and in the right situation he could reach his potential. 484 Back to table of contents -- 488 of 629 --