Former Irish star Julian Okwara’s career did not end the way he would have liked, breaking his left fibula against Duke which caused him to miss the final few games of his career. Although Okwara put together enough good film to pop up on a few first round NFL mock drafts, it seemed much more likely to hear his name getting called in the second round of the draft.
Well, the second round came and went without Okwara hearing his name being called but didn’t have to wait long in the 3rd round as the Detroit Lions picked him with the 67th overall selection, the 3rd pick of the round. Okwara’s fall shocked many, including the folks at Pro Football Focus.
Okwara was ranked as the 28th overall prospect by PFF, which means he should have been a first round selection based on the grade they gave him. Well, the Lions were the benefactor after Okwara was looked over. Anthony Treash, who put together the info for PFF, explained “there’s no reason Okwara should have been available in the third round. With his explosiveness off the line, overall athleticism and long arms, Okwara was a first-round talent in this draft.”
The Lions should be pretty happy that Okwara slid to the early portion of the 3rd round, anytime you can get a first day talent towards the end of the second day of the NFL Draft, front offices get very giddy. I expect Okwara to have a long and successful NFL career.