Detroit Lions 7-round 2020 NFL mock draft: Revitalizing the defense

Like their defensive back unit, the Detroit Lions pass rush was also one of the worst in the league. They struggled to get to the quarterback, doing so just 28 times total all season (T-29th). Defensive Coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, who stepped away after the season, lacked trust in his defensive backs and was hesitant to send men after the quarterback. This resulted in the Lions giving opposing quarterbacks an average of over three seconds per play, the worst in the NFL.

The personnel’s performance was underwhelming. Damon Harrison, unfortunately, had one of his worst NFL seasons yet and newcomer Trey Flowers lacked to make a heavy impact as a pass-rusher. This ultimately led to the Detroit Lions holding the NFL’s worst pass-rush win rate of 24 percent after it was all said and done. As you can tell so far, this defense really was one of, if not, the most atrocious in the NFL.

To address this issue, the Detroit Lions pickup edge-rusher Julian Okwara from Notre Dame in the second round of this mock draft. Okwara obtains first-round traits and is an intimating threat on the edge. He shows solid speed and bursts off the line, squeezing down the pocket on the quarterback.

Regardless, Okwara knows how to sets the edge, bending and twisting his way to around tackles. He is highly athletic for his size and typically wins the battle. He finished with 14.5 sacks during his time in college. Those numbers were affected after suffering a season-ending fibula injury in November. If he’s taken by the Detroit Lions, then he’ll likely come in to replace a defender he’s familiar with: Older brother, Romeo Okwara.