To get a better look at the Detroit Lions third-round pick Julian Okwara, let’s take a look at how draft analysts evaluated him in their 2020 NFL Draft guides and website profiles.
The Athletic
Evaluator: Dane Brugler’s “The Beast”
“A two-year starter at Notre Dame, Okwara lined up primarily as a stand-up rusher in Clark Lea’s hybrid 4-3 scheme, rushing from both sides. He was only 215 pounds when he arrived in South Bend and has come a long way in his development, although he is still far from reaching his ceiling. Okwara screams off the edge with the speed that makes quarterbacks uncomfortable, using that same athleticism to drop and make plays away from the line of scrimmage. He often appears aimless in his rush plan with erratic hands and too many “almost” plays on his tape. Overall, Okwara is an inconsistent run defender with strength and consistency questions, but he is an exceptional athlete with a projectable body, projecting as a high risk, high reward pass rusher.”
NFL.com
“The lanky edge rusher followed up an impressive 2018 with a slightly disappointing senior season that saw a drop in production and ended prematurely due to a broken leg. One look at his NFL brother (Romeo Okwara, Lions) should tell teams to project Julian as a bigger, stronger player with time. He has build-up speed up around the edge and carries an impressive closing burst to seal the deal, but he’s in desperate need of a rush counter to keep tackles guessing. He hasn’t shown a consistent ability to play the run, so his NFL success could generate a thumbs up or down based primarily on his ability to cause havoc as a rusher.”
Pro Football Focus
“Okwara is an interesting prospect for a number of reasons. The first being his pure athleticism. At his listed 6-4 1/2 and 248 pounds, he moves more like a tight end or wide receiver than an edge defender. The second is
that even though he’s undersized, his bull-rush is his go-to pass-rushing move. That’s a very interesting combination, the likes of which you rarely see from a college prospect. It’s also one that we’d bet on translating to the NFL – especially since it’s already translated to the college football field.”
The Draft Network
“Julian Okwara projects as a potential starter as a rush linebacker at the NFL level. Okwara’s functional athleticism and burst off the edge can be a potent weapon in an offense where he can serve as the complementary rusher and attack in 1 on 1 situations. Okwara’s lack of power components can restrict his effectiveness if additional attention is directed his way in pass protection but his pure speed components from wide alignments will garner pressure.”
Draft Wire
“He is an athletic force off the edge who accelerates well as a stand-up rusher and has plenty of bend and flexibility when chasing down the passer. He is able to turn the corner very well, as his body control, flexibility and speed allow him to maintain sharp pursuit angles while ripping and dipping underneath offensive tackles. Okwara is a fluid player who can change direction seamlessly and move around naturally in space. That fluidity, along with his long arms and solid height, gives him some value when dropping back in coverage. He has the raw speed to chase down backside plays and still make an impact, as well.”