The Philadelphia Eagles announced the signing of outside linebacker Julian Okwara on Wednesday. The Notre Dame product was a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft via the Detroit Lions. He spent four seasons with Detroit, totaling 54 tackles and nine sacks in 38 games. Injuries affected his career early on, and he was most recently on the team's practice squad. A signing this early in the offseason doesn't mean much, and it will be a while before he has the chance to earn a spot on the team's 53-man roster in 2024.
The Detroit Lions placed defensive end Julian Okwara (undisclosed) on Injured Reserve on Thursday. Okwara will now have to miss the first four games of the 2023 regular season. The 25-year-old finished last year on IR as well after injuring his elbow on Thanksgiving, but it's unknown if this injury is related. The third-round pick in 2020 out of Notre Dame has only 47 tackles (29 solo), seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 12 QB hits, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 29 games (three starts) in his three seasons with Detroit. Okwara will be eligible to return to the Lions' defensive line for a Week 5 date against the Carolina Panthers.
Detroit Lions edge rusher Julian Okwara is cross-training as both an on-the-ball defensive end and an off-the-ball linebacker this offseason. He played most of his snaps last year on the defensive line and recorded three sacks in the last three games while finishing with five sacks on the season, 27 tackles (six for loss), an interception and a fumble recovery. "We consider him a linebacker. He is a hybrid," head coach Dan Campbell said of Okwara. "We consider him in base as a linebacker, more of a SAM linebacker or on the edge. In sub or in nickel, he becomes more of that defensive end." Okwara will have a chance to carve out a significant role if his versatility continues to show up in offseason practices.
The Detroit Lions addressed their pass rush in the third round of the draft by selecting edge rusher Julian Okwara out of Notre Dame. Okwara will join his older brother, Romeo, in Detroit. Okwara is a powerful edge rusher with a strong bull rush that helped him accrue eight sacks in his junior season. He'll help a Lions Defense that allowed the second-most yards in the NFL last season. He stands at 6-foot-4, 252 pounds and could be a steal at this spot because of his strong bull rush as a fluid athlete. Okwara will be paired with defensive end Trey Flowers as Detroit looks to improve on the defensive line.
Julian Okwara
• OLB
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Eagles
