The Lions found a pass rusher two years ago in Romeo Okwara, and they're hoping to do the same with his younger brother.
Detroit drafted Notre Dame DE Julian Okwara No. 67 overall Friday night, adding some speed to their defensive line.
He'll help a pass rush that tied for the second fewest sacks in the NFL last season. And from a wider perspective, he'll help a defense that allowed over 400 yards per game.
Okwara had 5.0 sacks in nine games last year at Notre Dame before his season was cut short due to a broken leg. It was a somewhat disappointing year on the heels of his breakout campain in 2018, but his upside remains high.
If Lions fans like what they see in Romeo Okwara, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein says they'll like Julian even more.
"One look at his NFL brother should tell teams to project Julian as a bigger, stronger player with time," writes Zierlein. "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."
