Julian

Okwara

Okwara missed much of the 2023 season while on injured reserve. He appeared in nine games and was cut before the playoffs. The Lions then re-signed him to their practice squad. Okwara tallied five sacks in 2021 but has played a reduced role in recent years, resulting in just two sacks in each of the past two seasons. Given his solid performance a few years ago, this is a solid flier for a Philly defense that collapsed in 2023.

Okwara was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury to open the season, but is now eligible to return. The Lions will start his 21-day window to see how he looks in the coming days, but can activate him as early as Week 5 against the Panthers. Okwara has totaled seven sacks in 29 careers games and could provide an added boost to a Lions pass rush that’s already tied for the fourth-most sacks in the league.

This isn’t the start the Lions wanted to see out of their fourth-year pass rusher. Okwara has managed seven sacks through 29 career games, and burst onto the scene this preseason with a three-sack performance against the Giants. He’ll know be forced to miss at least the first four games of this season, and will be eligible to return in Week 5 when the Lions take on the Panthers. In a corresponding move, the Lions signed running back Craig Reynolds from the practice squad.

The Lions are mostly healthy for their opener. Okwara appeared in 13 games for Detroit last year. The former third-round pick was a rotational player but excelled in his role, notching five sacks and six TFLs.

Okwara has been sidelined with the leg issue for weeks, but according to Campbell, still has a shot to suit up against Philadelphia in two weeks. Okwara -- a third-round draft pick in 2020 -- reportedly trained as an off-ball linebacker this offseason in addition to edge rusher. Okwara had five sacks and 27 tackles in 13 games last season. His absence would be something of a blow for a Detroit defense going against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles.

Peak offseason news, no notes. The Lions are trying to increase Okwara’s versatility so he can be used in more interesting ways. They also just drafted Aidan Hutchinson, who figures to get plenty of playing time at EDGE, and have a fairly weak middle linebacker room full of uninspiring vets and low-round draft picks. Okwara recorded two sacks in Week 18’s win over the Packers, the first game of his career in which he played at least 60% of the defensive snaps.

This opens the No. 67 overall pick’s three-week window to resume practicing. We would have to assume the Lions would like to get the rookie some snaps in Weeks 16 or 17, so it is quite possible he is formally added back to the 53-man roster this week. Okwara sprinkled in for 59 snaps between Weeks 1 and 6.

Okwara will miss at least three games. The rookie third-rounder had been mostly limited to special teams, playing on 9% of defensive snaps. Okwara is eligible to return in Week 10.

In one of the draft’s best feel-good stories, Julian joins his older brother Romeo on Detroit’s roster. Not only do Okwara’s (6’4/252) fluid movements resemble that of an NFL wideout’s, Notre Dame’s coaching staff reportedly clocked his top speed at 21 mph prior to his broken fibula suffered late into the 2019 season. Best of all, Okwara’s top-end speed doesn’t take away from his strength in the slightest as his bull-rush remains his most dominant move — not shocking after he benched 27 reps despite checking into Indy’s combine with lengthy 34 3/8" arms. He should have been more productive (four sacks, six tackles for loss, 18 tackles) as a senior given those traits, but he lacks the overall repertoire to beat experienced offensive tackles at this stage of his career. Still, Okwara’s arrow is undoubtedly pointing up as a potential physical playmaker with salivating pass-rushing chops assuming his fractured left fibula is healed. He’ll compete opposite Trey Flowers from Day 1 given the Lions’ lack of competition at that spot.

In one of the draft’s best feel-good stories, Julian joins his older brother Romeo on Detroit’s roster. Not only do Okwara’s (6’4/252) fluid movements resemble that of an NFL wideout’s, Notre Dame’s coaching staff reportedly clocked his top speed at 21 mph prior to his broken fibula suffered late into the 2019 season. Best of all, Okwara’s top-end speed doesn’t take away from his strength in the slightest as his bull-rush remains his most dominant move — not shocking after he benched 27 reps despite checking into Indy’s combine with lengthy 34 3/8" arms. He should have been more productive (four sacks, six tackles for loss, 18 tackles) as a senior given those traits, but he lacks the overall repertoire to beat experienced offensive tackles at this stage of his career. Still, Okwara’s arrow is undoubtedly pointing up as a potential physical playmaker with salivating pass-rushing chops assuming his fractured left fibula is healed. He’ll compete opposite Trey Flowers from Day 1 given the Lions’ lack of competition at that spot.