All Lions

Lions Bolster Defense, Draft DE Julian Okwara

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

John Maakaron

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.

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.  

Related

D'Andre Swift's Favorite RB is Barry Sanders

What Analysts Said about Lions Drafting RB D'Andre Swift

Lions Draft RB D'Andre Swift at Pick No. 35 of Second-Round

Published
John Maakaron
JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland  Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!

Home/News