On Wednesday, the Detroit Lions released jersey numbers for their rookies and one of those number assignments could be revealing.
When the Lions selected former Notre Dame defender Julian Okwara in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, he was listed as either EDGE or defensive end. In fact, according to the Lions official website, Okwara is currently listed as a DE.
That being said, the Lions announced that Okwara will be wearing No. 45 this season, which is not a number that a defensive lineman (EDGE or DE) is allowed to wear per the current NFL rules. Instead, by wearing No. 45, the Lions are saying Okwara is either a LB or DB and we know Okwara will not be lining up as a defensive back.
Now, it is essential to note that Lions head coach Matt Patricia loves to move his players around on defense so labeling Okwara as EDGE or LB really does not matter in the big picture.
So, did the Lions reveal anything by announcing Okwara will be wearing No. 45? I don’t believe it means much at all.
