The NFL’s job fair aka Draft Combine is set to begin on Thursday and Rivals has ranked where they view players prior to the players getting a chance to show off their athletic prowess. Last week Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney ranked the best defensive ends before they work out in front of NFL brass.
Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara was named among the Top 5, 4th overall, among his peers at the position. They noted that the fourth-year player was on the field for just 35 games, but the production was there. Okwara was a force against opposing offensive lines, ranking up 15.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss.
Although Okwara needed work when he first arrived at South Bend, Farrell saw a player that “developed into one of the better pass rushers in the country and his technique is flawless. He’s also very good against the run in addition to his pass rushing stills.”
Okwara will show the NFL scouts his skills when the defensive line group works out on Saturday and you can see that on the NFL Network. Okwara’s name has popped up on a few 1st round mock drafts and with a good showing this weekend, him name could be popping up on more in the future.