Tag: Romeo Okwara

Establishing the 53: Rounding out the Lions’ DL

Examining the Detroit Lions defensive linemen and debating who and how many players they will keep on the 53-man roster.

It’s never too early to examine and speculate about the Detroit Lions roster. Currently, the Lions have 90-players on their roster, and come September, there will likely be some difficult decisions to make when determining their final 53-players.

Previously, in this series of articles at Lions Wire, we rounded out the running backs group, declared a winner in the fullback versus H-back competition, added an offensive weapon, narrowed down the offensive line, and in this piece, we will shift to the other side of the ball and focus on the Lions defensive line — projecting who and how many will make the 53-man roster.

Setting the table

The Lions defensive line primarily operates out of a three-man front, deploying a down defensive end (the DDE lines up on the offensive tackles outside shoulder, but will also shift inside to the 3-technique), a nose tackle (the NT splits time evenly between the 1- and 3-technique) and a defensive tackle (the DT lines up from the 3- to the 5-technique). In this set, the Lions will also line up a pass-rushing JACK linebacker opposite the DDE — for this exercise, the JACK will be discussed further in a linebacker article.

Because this is a hybrid front, the Lions will also operate with four defensive linemen, substituting a back-7 player (linebacker or defensive back) in favor of a big defensive end (BDE). The BDE will line up at the 7- or 9-technique (outside the tight end) in four-man fronts but will also rotate through at DT in three-man fronts.

For a frame of reference, last year the starters at these spots were:

  • DDE = Trey Flowers
  • NT = Damon Harrison
  • DT = A’Shawn Robinson
  • BDE = Da’Shawn Hand

Identifying starters

Despite losing two starters on the defensive line, the Lions front-four starters for 2020 are clear. Flowers will resume his role at DDE, Hand returns to his role at BDE/DT, while Harrison and Robinson were replaced in free agency by Danny Shelton at NT and Nick Williams at DT.

In three-man sets, expect Hand and Williams to rotate through the DT spot equally, regardless of who technically starts.

Erik’s take: You can write these four names in pen on your depth chart.

DDE reserve battle

After seeing over 53-percent of snaps last season, Romeo Okwara appears destined to resume the reserve DDE once again in 2020.

Jonathan Wynn runs third on the depth chart here but unless an injury happens the odds are against him. Add in the fact that JACK linebacker Austin Bryant can also flex to the DDE position and Wynn’s most optimistic outlook could be the practice squad.

Erik’s take: Okwara in, Wynn to the practice squad.

DT/BDE reserve battle

Last season the Lions kept four players at DT/BDE — Robinson (who has been replaced by Williams), Hand, Mike Daniels (who is still a free agent), and Kevin Strong. One of the reasons the Lions rolled with four players was due to Hand’s injury, but if he is healthy heading into this season, they may elect to keep only three players at this spot.

Strong returns to the roster, and as things sit right now, he appears to be the front runner for the third DT role. His primary competition will be seventh-rounder Jashon Cornell, a converted DE who shined last season at Ohio State after pushing inside to the 3-technique. Frank Herron, who was added to the Lions roster for the final month of the season, rounds out the group but he is staring at an uphill battle.

Erik’s take: Strong gets the nod in this projection, but he’ll be looking over his shoulder at Cornell who is headed to the practice squad. Herron is out.

NT reserve battle

Like at DT, this is another three-person battle between a returner, a draft pick, and a late addition to the roster.

After going undrafted in 2018, John Atkins has seen action each of the last two years, playing in 14 games and starting six down the stretch last season. His primary competition will be sixth-round pick John Penisini who has received a tremendous amount of praise for his upside in this type of NT role. Olive Sagapolu received a futures deal with the Lions last January, but like Herron, he lost his leverage once the Lions drafted a player at his position.

Erik’s take: Penisini is a perfect fit for this role and my gut feeling is he passes Atkins in the final weeks of the preseason, earning a spot on the 53. Atkins could push Strong for a deep reserve role but he’s more than likely headed to the practice squad. Sagapolu is out.

Conclusion

No real big surprises here, and while things can definitely shakeup during camp amongst the reserves, here’s where the depth chart stands in this projection:

  • DDE: Flowers, Okwara
  • NT: Shelton, Penisini
  • DT/BDE: Hand, Williams, Strong

Julian Okwara ‘excited to get to work’ with brother Romeo in Detroit

Julian Okwara ‘excited to get to work’ with brother Romeo in Detroit on a phone interview with Sirius XM after being drafted by the Lions

Julian Okwara joined Sirius XM NFL Radio for a phone interview shortly after he was informed he was joining older brother, Romeo, as a member of the Detroit Lions. The third-round pick from Notre Dame is definitely excited to join his brother and help the Detroit Lions win some football games.

Julian was asked about if he believed pre-draft that he could join Romeo in Detroit.

“No, I mean, going through the process you meet with all the teams and you never expect it. It just went…it’s a dream come true,” he said proudly.

He addressed the injury issue that many believe caused him to fall in the draft process. Okwara broke his leg and missed the final four Notre Dame games in 2019.

“I got injured in the 9th game against Duke. I wasn’t sure, a lot of things were going through my head. (phone breaks up) … I just knew I was not going to freak out, that I would do whatever I could to work out and get myself healthy. Now I’m just going through the process and excited to get to work.”

Julian noted that he didn’t “play the waiting game too much” because he was at brother Romeo’s draft party and saw what happened when his big brother went undrafted.

Ex-Giant Romeo Okwara reunites with brother, Julian, in Detroit

Former New York Giants DE Romeo Okwara will reunite with his brother, Julian, in Detroit after the Notre Dame product was taken on Day 2.

Former New York Giants and current Detroit Lions defensive lineman, Romeo Okwara, will see a familiar face joining his team following Round 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Lions selected Romeo’s brother, Julian, out of Notre Dame with pick No. 67 overall.

Romeo and Julian will be one of a handful of brother tandems playing together in the 2020 season, joining the McCourty brothers and others:

Romeo, of course, played with the Giants from 2016-2017 before leaving Big Blue via free agency to join the Lions. Unlike Julian, Romeo went undrafted and made the best of his opportunity with Big Blue.

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Watch: Julian Okwara to older brother Romeo, “We about to be roommates”

Watch: An emotional Julian Okwara says to his older brother Romeo after being drafted by the Detroit Lions, “We about to be roommates”.

“It’s awesome,” Julian Okwara told Detroit media after being selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round. “I’ve always dreamed about this (playing with his older brother Romeo), so it’s definitely a dream come true. I’m pretty much speechless. I’m still kind of letting it marinate, think about it tonight and probably will wake up tomorrow and really let it sit in.”

Part of the allure surrounding the NFL draft is the unscripted emotional moments that naturally occur when you get to witness a person’s dreams become a reality.

It was an emotional night for the Okwara family and cameras were on hand to catch the events. In the video, you can see Romeo immediately realizes what’s happening and gets out his phone to record his brother getting a life-altering call. After Julian gets off the phone with the Lions, with emotions running high, he turns to his older brother Romeo and excitedly exclaims:

“We about to be roommates!”

Grab the tissues and watch the video below:

At the Combine, Julian stated that if the Lions drafted him he was planning on living with Romeo rent-free. When asked about that statement, Julian said, “Oh yeah, 100- percent. It’s happening. I wasn’t joking. So I’m looking forward to living a rent-free year.”

It’s subtle, but one of the best moments in the video comes at the 1:38 mark when a supportive Romeo yells “Let’s goooooooo!”, and then in true big brother fashion, follows that support with, “You about to pay my rent boy!”

The Okwara brothers are going to be a lot of fun.

5 things to know about Julian Okwara

Get to know the Detroit Lions third-round pick. Here are five things to know about EDGE rusher Julian Okwara.

As we enter the third round, we get to welcome another much-needed player to the team, Julian Okwara, EDGE from Notre Dame.

Here are a few things to know about the newest Lions player.

  1.  First and foremost he’s the brother of current Lion defensive end Romeo Okwara. They moved from Nigeria to the States when Julian was 8 years old. He also followed his brother to Notre Dame.
  2. He was a team captain at Notre Dame in 2019.  Unfortunately, his season got cut short due to a broken fibula. Because of his injury, he didn’t do much in the Combine, but he did have 27 bench press reps.
  3. I’ve seen 3 different places listed as his place of birth: London, England, Charlotte, NC and Nigeria.  The only consistent thing is that he was born on December 27, 1997. You can’t always trust the internet kids.
  4. He was a student at the Mendoza College of Business and was a management consulting major.
  5. Julian and Romeo are among at least four other sibling sets that play in the NFL. They join the Watt brothers, the Griffin brothers, McCourty brother, and the Edmunds brothers.

Welcome to Detroit Julian! Let’s hope your brother doesn’t play too many rookie jokes on you!

Several Lions earned roster bonuses and guarantees on Friday

Several Lions earned roster bonuses and guarantees on Friday, the third day of the NFL league year for 2020

Friday, March 20th marked the third day of the 2020 NFL league year. That’s an important date for contractual purposes for many players, including some Detroit Lions.

Many NFL contracts are structured so roster bonuses get paid and guaranteed on the third day of the league year. It’s also when contracts also get guaranteed for the next year in some cases. The Lions who got some roster bonus money on Friday include:

DE Trey Flowers: $10 million of his $14.5 million base salary in 2020 is now guaranteed.

TE T.J. Hockenson: $810,965 roster bonus.

DE Romeo Okwara: $150,000 roster bonus.

CB Justin Coleman: $1.9 million of his $6.95 million salary for 2020 is guaranteed.

PK Matt Prater: $200,000 roster bonus.

Chiefs taking interest in Notre Dame DL Julian Okwara

Okwara’s older brother Romeo played for Kansas City Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo with the New York Giants.

The Kansas City Chiefs met with several edge defenders at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Among the 45 allotted formal interviews was Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara, a standout pass rusher who found his senior season ended prematurely due to injury. The injury has put a bit of a chip on his shoulder throughout the pre-draft process because he feels that maybe teams have forgotten about him. The Chiefs weren’t one of those teams.

Julian has a unique connection to a coach on the Kansas City staff. His older brother Romeo Okwara entered the league under Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Romeo worked his way up from an undrafted free agent in his rookie season to starting four games for the Giants. The work ethic Romeo showed served as a positive example for Julian throughout his football career.

“[Romeo] being undrafted, he’s had a different path than me,” Julian said of his brother. “Hopefully I get drafted. He’s just taught to work hard from afar. I think it went unsaid, but just looking at him and the way he went about his business, he had to work every single year he’s been in the league. Him going into his fifth year in the league, that’s not something that’s common for a lot of guys. That’s rare for him and the path we’ve taken coming from Lagos, Nigeria — we don’t expect to be here. I don’t expect to be on this podium right now. I went back there this past summer and there’s a lot of kids just begging for food on the side of the street. I’m just grateful to be here. [I’m grateful] for the sacrifice my parents made for my brother, sister and I.”

Romeo is currently playing the Detroit Lions, but as we mentioned earlier he got his start with the Giants playing under Spagnuolo. Julian had a chance to meet with Spags during his formal with Kansas City at the combine.

“Right, it was cool,” Julian told Chiefs Wire. “I had a very good meeting with him. All of those meetings are tough. There’s definitely a lot of pressure in there. But I think that I’m prepared for it. At Notre Dame, you’re forced to know a lot of things, about the defense, about the NFL. You go about your business like a pro. That’s the first thing: Be a pro about your business. I hold myself to a high standard and I’m just ready to be in the NFL. I’m built for this. It’s just the way I’m wired.”

A consistent theme among the players we spoke to at the combine was that the Chiefs’ formal interviews weren’t a walk in the park. They have an idea of the type of players they need to win a championship. So when you walk into a formal meeting with Kansas City it’s business first, detail-oriented and as Utah RB Zack Moss described, “You feel like it’s a hostile environment.”

Julian Okwara fractured his left fibula during Notre Dame’s win over Duke in 2019. It was a game where he felt things were really starting to click for him. He’d even showed improvements in his run defense. He was expected to have a big season as a senior, but unfortunately, the season was cut short.

Okwara wasn’t quite ready to workout in full at the combine in Indianapolis, but he weighed in at 6-feet-4 and 252 pounds with 34 3/8-inch arms. He also put up and impressive 27 bench press repetitions in his lone measurable drill. He’s known to be an exceptional athlete, so putting his workout on hold at the combine was tough for him. However, Okwara expects to be ready to workout in full at Notre Dame’s pro day on April 1. Expect the Chiefs to be among the teams in attendance for his pro day.

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Could A.J. Epenesa fall to the Lions in the 2nd round?

After a less than ideal NFL combine for Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa, the Detroit Lions could possibly land him in the second round

The NFL combine is an excellent place for a prospect to shine among NFL scouts, but on the flip side, if you flounder, it is magnified, and that is the case for Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa.

Before the combine, it was hard not to find Epenesa landing nearly in the top half of the draft, and thinking the only way the Lions could land the Iowa standout was trading down in the draft. However, with a showing that left many scratching their heads, his draft stock is taking a significant blow.

Epenesa was being garnered as one of the best edge prospects in this draft who has strength for days, and not only brings intense pressure against the quarterback, but has sound gap techniques leading to his sheer presence in the run game.

If Patricia could build a player in a lab, Epenesa would be the finished product who has drawn comparisons to Lions’ own Trey Flowers, which isn’t far off the mark, but the tipping point would be the weight between the two which accounts for the difference in athleticism.

The problem that people are running into with Espenesa is the lack of athleticism he showcased at the combine bringing into the question how effective he could be as an edge defender, but if anyone has watched Espenesa that is not his calling card. He wins with brute strength and technical ability, unlike a traditional edge rusher who makes their money with speed and straight athleticism like former Lion Ziggy Ansah.

Versatility is the name of the game when it comes to how the Lions view players and Epenesa falls in line with other Lions defensive linemen. They often look for players who can fill multiple roles and are not tied to a singular position like a pure edge rusher. Pulling numbers from current Lions Trey Flowers, Da’Shawn Hand, and Romeo Okwara, Epenesa falls right in line with what the Lions look for — potentially filling a role similar to Flowers with some Hand-like responsibilities sprinkled in.

 
PLAYER 10-YD SPLIT VERTICAL JUMP BROAD JUMP 3-CONE DRILL SHORT SHUTTLE
A.J. EPENESA 1.78 32.5 9’9″ 7.34 4.46
TREY FLOWERS 1.63 36.5 10’1″ 7.34 4.40
DA’SHAWN HAND 1.70 31.5 9’3″ 7.98 4.62
ROMEO OKWARA 1.73 33 10′ 7.38 4.53

Kent Lee Platte wrote an article for Pro Football Network that highlights that maybe not is all is lost for Epenesa. He compares Epenesa to the likes of ZaDarius Smith and Arik Armstead, who have gone on to have successful careers playing a similar approach as Epenesa.

Epenesa is one of those prospects where you have to trust the tape versus judging him only from his combine showing. If you watch the tape, you have a player who wins on multiple levels showcasing his superior strength and technical refinement instead of his athleticism. Some of his combine numbers were a little less than ideal, but he is a player who is impactful at multiple spots on the defensive line and shouldn’t be treated as exclusively an edge rusher.

Even though the potential of landing Chase Young is looking more feasible, the Lions need all the help they can get on the defensive line. With the potential losses of A’Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels to free agency, the release of Damon Harrison, along with Da’Shawn Hand healing for an injury-riddled season, they need resources on the line. We saw how much the defensive line was affected by injuries and poor play, and Epenesa would fit perfectly in the versatile multiple schemed defense the Lions love doing.

The combine was not friendly to Epenesa’s draft stock. Because he is not a pure edge rusher, teams may be hesitant to take him high in the draft leading a potential draft-day tumble to a point the Lions could snag him in the second round, which would be a dream scenario for the Lions. If he is still there come the Lions’ second-round pick, they need to run that ticket to the podium and not give a second thought.

Julian Okwara not mad at Giants for cutting his brother

Notre Dame defensive lineman Julian Okwara says he holds no ill-will towards the New York Giants for cutting his brother, Romeo Okwara.

The New York Giants signed defensive end Romeo Okwara as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame following the conclusion of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he went on to spend two years with the team.

During that span, Okwara appeared in 22 games (four starts), recording 28 tackles (two for a loss), two passes defensed, seven QB hits and one sack. He flashed several times, but never received the defensive snaps he seemed to warrant.

In September of 2018, Okwara was waived by the Giants and almost immediately claimed by the Detroit Lions, where his career has excelled.

Now in 2020, another Okwara is coming up through college and drawing interest at the 2020 NFL Combine.

Notre Dame defensive lineman Julian Okwara is under the bright lights in Indianapolis this time, and he’s fielded several questions about his brother. Among them has been whether or not he holds any ill-will towards the Giants for sending Romeo packing.

He does not.

“The Giants are a team that gave him a chance,” Julian said, via Newsday. “That’s the reason he’s with the Lions right now. He could have not been on a team. So I’m grateful to them for giving him an opportunity and hopefully it opens up a door for me.

“Whatever happened to him, in this league, you can bounce around from team to team. You have to work and be humble and hope to see the game the next day. You can get cut at any time. I’m not holding a grudge against them. It happens. It’s football.”

Julian said that he’d have no reservations about playing for the Giants if they called his name, but admits it would be “cool” to end up on the Lions’ roster alongside his Nigerian brother.

“It’d be cool,” Julian said. “I told him I’d move in with him on the couch and he’d have to pay the rent, I’m not splitting it. I’m the younger brother and that’s what older brothers do, they take care of younger brothers. But it’d be cool.”

As of Friday morning, the Giants have not held a formal or informal meeting with Julian.

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Lions week 12 snap counts: Oruwariye steps up in Melvin’s absence

The Detroit Lions had 11 rookies active on game day, and for the most part, they all played significant or scheme-specific roles on Sunday.

When examining the Detroit Lions (3-7-1) snap counts from Week 12, a few key things stood out. Of the 46 players active for the Lions in Washington, 11 of them were rookies, including Isaac Nauta, Austin Bryant, Beau Benzschawel, and Michael Jackson, all making their NFL debuts.

That and more takeaways from this week’s snap counts below:

Jeff Driskel continues snap streak

Jeff Driskel — 75, 100-percent

Despite Driskel’s playing style leading to him getting hit with frequency, he still manages to stay on the field for every snap.

Lions use 7 of 8 active offensive linemen

LT Taylor Decker — 75, 100-percent
LG Joe Dahl — 74, 99-percent
C Graham Glasgow — 75, 100-percent
RG Kenny Wiggins — 68, 91-percent
RT Tyrell Crosby — 75, 100-percent
OG Oday Aboushi — 8, 11-percent
OT Tyrell Crosby — 5, 7-percent
OL Beau Benzschawel — 0, 0-percent

The Lions have nine offensive linemen on their active roster. With Frank Ragnow out due to a concussion, that left them with eight healthy — all of which were active on Sunday. Typically the Lions only deploy seven offensive linemen on game days and that held true again yesterday, with Benzschawel still waiting to see his first NFL snaps.

Scarbrough leads the backfield again

Bo Scarbrough — 38, 51-percent
Ty Johnson — 27, 36-percent
J.D. McKissic — 11, 15-percent

Scarbrough was once again one of the bright spots in the Lions offense and the Lions leaned on him for the second week in a row. Behind him, Johnson and McKissic flipped roles from last week, with the game plan calling for more of a ground presence.

WR snaps have been consistent

Kenny Golladay — 68, 91-percent
Marvin Jones Jr. — 67, 89-percent
Danny Amendola — 46, 61-percent
Marvin Hall — 10, 13-percent

This snap count distribution has been fairly close to what the Lions have deployed since Driskel took over at quarterback. The only difference being Hall’s snap counts declined a bit after he left the game early with a lower leg injury.

Hockenson see lowest snap counts of the season

T.J. Hockenson — 33, 44-percent
Jesse James — 32, 43-percent
Logan Thomas — 28, 37-percent
Isaac Nauta — 10, 13-percent

Most young quarterbacks rely on tight ends as safety valves, but that has not been the case with Driskel. That may not be the primary reason the tight ends snaps counts dropped this week, — Hockenson was added to the injury report late Saturday — but it was likely a factor.

Nauta, who was just promoted to the active roster on Saturday, saw several snaps out of the backfield filling in for injured fullback Nick Bawden.

Interior DL snaps

A’Shawn Robinson — 43, 72-percent
Damon Harrison — 38, 63-percent
John Atkins — 25, 42-percent
Mike Daniels — 9, 15-percent

These snaps counts are very similar to what we saw from this group last week, which begs the question — why isn’t Daniels seeing the field more?

EDGE players see a big bump in snaps

Romeo Okwara — 56, 93-percent
Devon Kennard — 55, 92-percent
Austin Bryant — 16, 27-percent

Last season, Okwara routinely had multiple games where he received over 90-percent of snaps, but his numbers declined with the addition of Trey Flowers. With Flowers missing this week with a concussion, Okwara was back over 90-percent once again.

Bryant began the game only seeing the field on third downs but saw his snaps increase in obvious passing situations.

Linebackers dip in snaps

Jarrad Davis — 51, 85-percent
Christian Jones — 30, 50-percent
Jahlani Tavai — 29, 48-percent
Miles Killebrew — 16, 27-percent

All three primarily off-the-ball linebackers saw a slight dip in snaps. This is only the fourth game this season where Davis saw less than 90-percent of snaps, Tavai saw his snaps drop after a month in the 60th percentile, while Jones saw his lowest snap counts of the season.

Like Bryant in the last section, Killebrew saw the field on third downs and obvious passing situations as the game wore on.

Oruwariye steps up in Melvin’s absence

Darius Slay — 60, 100-percent
Justin Coleman — 60, 100-percent
Amani Oruwariye — 45, 75-percent

Last week, Oruwariye took over for Mike Ford in the fourth cornerback spot, and this week with Rashaan Melvin unable to play due to injury, Oruwariye was once again promoted into a more prominent role.

Oruwariye flashed the skill level he showed off in training camp and secured his first career interception:

Safety use was clear and defined

Tavon Wilson — 60, 100-percent
Will Harris — 60, 100-percent
C.J. Moore — 7, 12-percent

With no Tracy Walker, the Lions leaned heavily on Wilson and Harris, only turning to Moore when they went into three safety sets.

Special teams

Miles Killebrew — 26
Dee Virgin — 26
Mike Ford — 23
Steve Longa — 21
Jalen Reeves-Maybin — 21
Isaac Nauta — 21
C.J. Moore — 20
Ty Johnson — 17
Logan Thomas — 15
Jesse James — 11
Amani Oruwariye — 11
Will Harris — 10
Christian Jones — 9
J.D. McKissic — 6
Jarrad Davis — 5
Tavon  Wilson — 4
Justin Coleman — 4
Marvin Hall — 3
Danny Amendola — 3
Michael Jackson — 2

With no Jamal Agnew available, the Lions turned to Ty Johnson on kick returns and Marvin Hall on punt returns, but when Hall went down, the team needed veteran Danny Amendola to field the final three punts.

Michael Jackson saw his first-ever NFL snaps yesterday, getting two looks on special teams.