Julian Okwara To The First Round In The SI Mock Draft
Notre Dame defensive end Julian Okwara remains a hot commodity among NFL Draft analysts. In the latest Sports Illustrated mock draft, Kevin Hanson has the Fighting Irish end going in the first round to the Seattle Seahawks, who pick No. 28.
Okwara has been Notre Dame’s top pass rusher the last two seasons, racking up 19.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in the last two seasons. His combination of length, athleticism and production keeps him as a favorite for mock drafters. Here is what Hanson wrote about the Irish standout:
“The Seahawks used a first-round pick on L.J. Collier in 2019, but several of their top pass-rushers, including Jadeveon Clowney, are currently scheduled to be free agents in 2020. More than half of Okwara’s sack production came in one game (three vs. Virginia), but he has the length and athleticism that the Seahawks should find intriguing.”
Okwara was one of the nation’s top pass rushers in 2018, ranking seventh in the country with 61 quarterback pressures. His 12.5 tackles for loss led the team and his eight sacks tied All-American defensive tackle Jerry Tillery for best on the defense.
Tillery was drafted No. 28 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.
Through nine games, Okwara had seven tackles for loss and five sacks. Those five sacks led the Irish defense at that time.
Okwara had 32 pressures in nine games, but his run game production saw a big drop off as a senior.
Should Okwara go in the first round it would mark the first time since 1975-76 that Notre Dame had a defensive lineman go in the first round in back-to-back seasons.
