CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN'S DRAFT TRADES
JULIAN OKWARA
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-4
250 pounds
22 years old
BIG PICTURE
Nigerian native Julian Okwara -- brother to Detroit Lion Romeo Okwara -- contributed all four years and became an eventual captain at Notre Dame before his collegiate career ended due to a broken fibula, which kept him from running at the combine. Made the greatest impact as a junior with eight sacks and 16 run stops on the season. At 250 pounds is currently undersized and struggled against the run in college. Concluded his career with 15.5 sacks.
COMBINE NOTABLES
27 bench reps
VIKINGS COMPATIBILITY RANKING
2.5 out of 5. Selecting Okwara in the first round would be a reach, so the Vikings would be wise to see if he falls deeper into Day 2 where more value is presented.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: "The lanky edge rusher followed up an impressive 2018 with a slightly disappointing senior season that saw a drop in production and ended prematurely due to a broken leg. One look at his NFL brother (Romeo Okwara, Lions) should tell teams to project Julian as a bigger, stronger player with time. He has build-up speed up around the edge and carries an impressive closing burst to seal the deal, but he's in desperate need of a rush counter to keep tackles guessing. He hasn't shown a consistent ability to play the run, so his NFL success could generate a thumbs up or down based primarily on his ability to cause havoc as a rusher."
Joe Marino, Draft Network: "Julian Okwara is a bursty, bendy and lean pass rusher who impressed in 2018 but did not quite take the step many expected in 2019 and final season at Notre Dame was cut short due to a broken left fibula. Okwara has a solid foundation of traits to serve as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level. His warts as a run defender would be mitigated in that role and he has the movement skills to execute responsibilities in space. I’m not sure he’ll ever be an impact run defender but his flexibility and twitch gives him a chance to affect the passer which is of great value in the NFL. He isn’t a fit for every team, but he should be able to carve out a meaningful role as a situational pass rusher at a minimum."
WHAT PFF SAYS
17 missed tackles last two years
23% pass-rush win rate (above average)
61 pressures in 2018 (6th)
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
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