Check the Report: Daniel Kelly Scouts DE Julian Okwara
DE #45 Julian Okwara - 6-foot-4, 252 pounds
Grade: B (Good player, but not elite; good enough to win with, however)
Scouting Report
Inconsistent situational hybrid linebacker and EDGE rusher with natural athletic ability and a leaner, lanky-looking frame.
Listed on the ESPN.com depth chart as his brother's backup at DE (Romeo Okwara). Flashes dominant ability. Flashes dynamic play-making ability. Classic athletic run-and-chase freelancer in the mold of Devon Kennard (but not as polished), who was lost in free agency to Arizona. Has quick first step off the line of scrimmage, but has some real tightness and rigidity in his hips -- which prevents him from that pop and explosiveness at the point of contact when he is engaging against linemen. Lacks the kind of raw power and pure playing strength needed to blow through his matchup or put his guy on skates and drive him directly back into the quarterback's face.
He is at his best when he lines up wider or takes a wider trip around the perimeter of the pocket, when he can use his good playing speed and lightning-fast hands to bend the edge, get under the pad level and either ride it out or flat out blow through the back door of the pocket by beating his guy in a footrace. This is his game. Needs to be fanned out, and allowed to play in space as much as humanly possible to play to his strengths and to optimize his success.
Matches up best against right tackles on the offensive line. Shows excellent short-area burst-and-close ability when he is freed up and has the quarterback locked into his sights. Top-shelf-looking when he is in a chase position.
Lawrence Taylor came to mind when I was watching him, in terms of close in the pocket. And he has that same big, patented right-hand swat to try to dislodge the ball from the blindside. Disruptive. Wants to get the ball out. Looks to create fumbles. Very opportunistic. Has great ball skills. Fantastic instincts. Absolutely looks relentless at times. Flashes high-level persistence. Can be a real handful, especially against the slower-footed right tackles. More of a situational pass rusher with five-plus sack potential as a rookie. Shows some passion, fire and visible confidence. Has contagious influence. Showed the ability to also drop into coverage, and looked very graceful doing it -- which creates opportunities to disguise coverages.
He needs coaching that can keep his fire lit. Has that "want" in him. Just needs to be ridden to get it out. Inconsistent motor. He looks like a real "baller" on highlight films. Fun to watch at times.
However, looks far more human when watching the full body of work in a full game (see his game against Georgia in 2019 and against Vanderbilt in 2018) when his weaknesses become glaringly more apparent. Alarmingly, could all but disappear at the college level, and he did in those two games. Struggles against upper-echelon athletic tackles or those who get their big mitts on him and go right at him. Fights, just lacks the size, girth and pure playing strength to succeed with any consistency in those situations. Looks somewhat raw against the run. Can get driven out or swallowed up. Struggles when engaged and locked up. Playing the run against big men is not his game. Violent hitter and solid tackler when he is freed up. He will be special on special teams coverage units, which is all about freelancing, running and hitting. Has all the necessary characteristics. May want to experiment with him as a gunner on the punt unit. Very comparable player to Kennard, in terms of height, weight and speed. Coming out, Kennard ran a 4.7 (40-yard time), and Okwara ran a 4.6 (40).
Nothing irks me more as an evaluator than guys who underachieve. But, I still like this guy. My scouting mentor -- who's one of the most revered evaluators in the game -- has really instilled it in me: "Danny, stick with the dynamic ones." This guy has very real dynamic ability in him.
Coaches need to find a way to play to his strengths. He was the perfect pick for the Lions in the third round. He fills a need, and is far more salary-cap friendly. Good job by the Lions' front office with this guy. I really believe with strong coaching and the right strategy, he very well could blossom into a 10-plus sack guy every season. I would love to see the coaches do something outside of the box with him, like lining him up as an OLB on his brother's side and bringing him clean off the edge when his brother is engaged with the tackle. Lined up standing upright a lot at Notre Dame. Could be a very special package. Might project better to OLB.
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