With their first of two picks in the third round, the Lions selected Julian Okwara to fill in the vacant JACK linebacker position and assist with the pass rush.
There will be a family reunion in Detroit as Julian Okwara is the brother of the current Lion Romeo Okwara. Julian missed a good portion of last season because of a broken fibula, but he was still regarded as one of the better pass rushers in this draft.
Julian primarily lined up as a stand-up rusher playing in a hybrid 4-3 scheme, registering 15.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss while at Notre Dame. He possesses the athleticism to not only be a productive rusher but also has great coverage ability. Even though he could use some refinement when it comes to pass-rushing, but he screams off the edge with his long arms and make it quite uncomfortable in the backfield.
The biggest knock against him is his run defense and setting the edge, but likely those aspects are coachable. Even though his speed is what makes him so dangerous, that is also what gets him into trouble, overrunning potential tackles at times. Due to some of the missed time, some believe he still needs refinement to his game.
The Lions have struggled to create any consistent pass-rushing attack and desperately needed a presence on the other side of Trey Flowers. With his versatility and athleticism, Okwara will fit into Matt Patricia’s defense like a glove.
Okwara is a high risk-high reward player, but with his brother in town, Romeo will surely help him reach his full potential.