Lions Bolster Defense, Draft DE Julian Okwara

At No. 65, Lions select DE Julian Okwara, brother of Romeo Okwara

Detroit continues to be committed to upgrading its struggling defense, specifically the defensive line. 

The Lions selected defensive end Julian Okwara with the 67th pick of the NFL Draft, passing on several other notable players on the offensive line and in the secondary.

He could be utilized by the Lions as a stand-up outside linebacker in 3-4 defensive schemes.

Detroit is in need of a boost along the defensive line, and Okwara could be a prospect that can come in and make an impact immediately.

Julian Okwara: 18.4% pressure percentage since 2018

Tied best among EDGE in draft class pic.twitter.com/PHaB4pBng3

— PFF (@PFF) April 25, 2020

There were a plethora of issues that caused the Lions to finish the 2019 season on a nine-game losing streak.

The defensive line never gelled, the secondary gave up too many big plays and the play at linebacker was pretty abysmal. 

Now, the work has begun on repairing a defense that ranked in the bottom-third of the league in several key defensive categories. 

Detroit found a very suitable replacement for Darius Slay when general manager Bob Quinn made Jeff Okudah the first cornerback to be selected in the top five of the NFL Draft since 1997. 

In the offseason, Detroit agreed to deals with cornerback Desmond Trufant, linebacker Jamie Collins and defensive tackle Nick Williams

Detroit has also added several other veterans the past couple of seasons to bolster the defense, including defensive end Trey Flowers and cornerback Justin Coleman.

Barring trades, Detroit has one remaining pick Friday -- No. 85 overall, which is the 21st pick of the third round.  

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