Final PFF Mock Draft Has Julian Okwara Headed West

If Pro Football Focus is right about the 2020 NFL Draft then Thursday night is going to be a big one for former Notre Dame defensive end Julian Okwara.

In his final mock draft, PFF senior analyst Steve Palazzolo has Okwara going in the first round, with the Seattle Seahawks taking him with the No. 27 overall pick.

“Okwara has a fantastic combination of burst, length and power, and the Seahawks might like Mike Renner’s Chris Clemons comp from the PFF draft guide. Okwara has the movement skills to dabble at linebacker in the right scheme, but he’s likely a pure edge rusher for Seattle. He finished with an outstanding 90.4 pass-rush grade last season, though he’s got work to do against the run where he graded at just 64.0.”

PFF and Palazzolo have been consistent with their support for Okwara, even as other draft analysts project him to fall. Several recent mock drafts have even placed the Charlotte native in round three.

It would seem Palazzolo is focusing more on Okwara’s talent, potential and junior season dominance than his senior season drop off. Okwara led the Irish defense with 12.5 tackles for loss and tied for the team lead with eight sacks in 2018 as that side of the ball fueled Notre Dame’s trip to the College Football Playoff.

When he’s on his game, Okwara shows an elite burst off the edge, which he combines with one of the better wingspans in the draft. His production and overall play fell off in 2019, but Okwara still showed flashes of being a dominant player.

That was never more evident than it was in Notre Dame’s 35-21 victory over ACC Coastal Division champ Virginia. Notre Dame fell behind at halftime, but in the third quarter the Irish defense took the game over, and Okwara was the catalyst. His three sacks and two forced fumbles were crucial to the Irish comeback and victory.

The 2020 NFL Draft begins on Thursday night at 8:00 PM (Eastern), and it will be aired on ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network. Round one will be conducted that evening, rounds two and three will be on Friday and rounds four through seven will be conducted on Saturday.

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