There’s a saying as old as the Model-T that the NFL Draft is the Detroit Lion’s Superbowl.
With that being the case, it is never too early to start looking at what current college football players would look especially good in the Honolulu blue and silver.
Pro Football Focus came out with version number one of their 2020 NFL mock draft. The draft positions are based on where NFL teams rank today after week 7 of the NFL season. At 2-3-1 the Lions hold the rights to the No. 17 overall pick. According to PFF, the Lions will use that slot to take Julian Okwara, edge rusher out of Notre Dame. Okwara’s brother, Romeo, currently plays for the Lions.
At the 12:12 mark of the video, you can see Mike Renner and Austin Gayle talk about the pick and how Okwara would fit Matt Patricia’s defense.
They note that not only is Okwara lightning quick for an edge rusher and will probably run a 4.4 or 4.5 40-yard dash but that he is also one of the best bull-rushers in the country because of how well he can convert speed to power.
This would certainly make a lot of sense for the Lions as their pass rush has been abysmal by any measurable statistic. It’s a pick that the fans would embrace as well given that not getting to the quarterback has been near the top of the complaints list this season.
Okwara has four sacks and two forced fumbles through six games this season and 16.5 sacks throughout his career at Nore Dame. Fans will get to see Okwara up close and personal very soon as the Fighting Irish travel to Ann Arbor this weekend to play the Michigan Wolverines.
