Former Detroit Lions linebacker Julian Okwara is on to his next NFL destination.
The former third-round draft pick out of Notre Dame played four seasons in Detroit after joining the team in 2020, appearing in 38 games with four starts. Okwara was considered a draft bust, losing the majority of his rookie season due to injury and making just nine total sacks through his four years there.
Okwara left the Lions after the conclusion of his rookie contract 2024, signing with the Arizona Cardinals, and will now be heading east for the 2025 season.
Julian Okwara Looking to Turn Around Career
Okwara signed with the Cleveland Browns, a move that The Associated Press noted will add depth to the team’s edge-rushing group.
“He is the second defensive lineman the Browns have added in free agency. The other was Joe Tryon-Shoyinka during the first week,” the report noted. “Cleveland could continue to add to its defensive line room during the upcoming NFL draft. Penn State’s Abdul Carter is one of the players the Browns are looking at with the second overall pick.”
The new destination could also be something of a reset for Okwara, who was never able to make a significant impact on the field during his four years in Detroit. As Benjamin Raven of MLive.com noted, Okwara was one of the few remaining links to the previous regime in Detroit but never found a place under head coach Dan Campbell.
“He was among the last draft class under ex-Lions general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia. Okwara lasted three seasons under general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, surviving the regime switch to finish his rookie contract in Detroit,” Raven wrote.
Okwara appeared in just six games in his rookie season, making three total tackles with no sacks. He had a stronger year in 2021, notching 5.0 sacks and 27 total tackles, but failed to secure a starting role.
Okwara had initially signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after his rookie contract expired, but he was released at the conclusion of training camp and later joined Arizona’s practice squad. He earned a promotion to the full roster early in the season, appearing in 13 total games while playing both on defense and special teams.
Lions Still Looking to Improve Pass Rush
Though Okwara was never able to justify the third-round pick the Lions used on him in 2020, the team made another big investment two years later when they selected edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 2 overall pick in 2022.
The team has struggled to find a consistent counterpart to Hutchinson, which was especially difficult last season after Hutchinson suffered a season-ending fractured leg. Campbell said at the league’s owners meetings this offseason that they were excited about the offseason additions and hinted that they would continue to address the defensive line in the upcoming NFL draft.
“And we’re not done, either. That’s the point: We’re not done,” Campbell said, via MLive.com. “We don’t know when. Maybe it will be the draft. We’re looking at everything. It could be after the draft. It could be any time.”
