Detroit Lions Draft: The Okwara brothers unite in Detroit

It’s been a very successful draft for the Detroit Lions to this point, and General Manager (GM) Bob Quinn continues to add impactful players to a roster in dire need of starting talent.

Whether you are frustrated with Bob Quinn’s inability to trade down in the first round or not, you can’t balk at the talent corner Jeff Okudah will bring to the Detroit Lions roster.  Okudah, a pure plug, and play shut down man-to-man corner, will fill a significant void left behind by Darius Slay.

With the 35th overall pick, the Detroit Lions selected arguably the most complete running back in the entire draft, D’Andre Swift.  It’s a choice that came unexpectedly; most would have tagged an edge rusher to be preferred pick amongst Lions management.

Swift won’t only be the best running back quarterback Matthew Stafford has had in the backfield; he’ll be Detroit’s best back since Barry Sanders.  During Swift’s first two years at Georgia, he was buried behind Sony Michel and Nick Chubb but somehow still produced nearly 3000 rushing yards and eclipsed 650 receiving yards.  He will join Stafford in Detroit, who wore the same number seven with the Bulldogs.

The Lions elected to use the 35th pick on an impactful offensive weapon rather than a much-needed edge rusher.  With the 67th pick in the draft, the Detroit Lions addressed that need drafting defensive end, Julian Okwara, the brother of current Lion Romeo Okwara.  It’s a unique situation to have two potential starters playing on the same NFL defense.

Although I would have preferred either Zack Baun or Terrell Lewis at this pick, Okwara will be more than capable of having the same or even more success.  The Notre Dame product brings a lot of upside to the Lions defense, considering he accumulated seven sacks last season with the Irish in just nine games.  In 2018 Okwara amassed 12.5 sacks in 13 games.

Okwara, a captain at Notre Dame is a 6-foot-4, 250-pound rushing end.  He will join his brother in Detroit, making the transition from college to the pros much easier.  The Okwara brothers had never played on the same team at any level of football, so this is an excellent day for them and their family.