Detroit Lions Draft DE Julian Okwara

The Okwara brothers will be reunited, as the Detroit Lions drafted Notre Dame defensive end Julian Okwara in the third round of the NFL Draft with the #67 overall pick.

Okwara joins his older brother Romeo, who also played for the Fighting Irish and is now a member of the Lions defensive line.

Okwara is just the third Notre Dame defensive end to be drafted in the Brian Kelly era, joining Stephon Tuitt (2014) and Kapron Lewis-Moore (2013).

Okwara was projected to be a first-round pick following an outstanding junior season in which he led the Irish defense with 12.5 tackles for loss and registered eight sacks, which tied with Jerry Tillery - a 2019 first round pick - for first tops on the squad.

The Charlotte native was credited with 61 quarterback pressures by Pro Football Focus in 2018, which was the seventh best total in the nation.

Okwara wasn’t nearly as impactful as a senior, making just seven tackles for loss and five sacks in nine games. His season was cut short when he broke a bone in his leg in the ninth game of the season. Prior to the injury his play against the run took step back and his pass rush production was well behind his junior-level production.

But despite his disappointing season Okwara was able to make a significant impact in one key win. His three sacks in Notre Dame’s 35-21 come-from-behind victory over Virginia, which resulted in two forced fumbles, were a key ingredient to that Irish victory.

Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes.
Follow me on twitter: @CoachD178
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook