Heading into his third year with the Detroit Lions, Julian Okwara had found a home as a hybrid pass-rushing outside linebacker in the team’s new defensive scheme. Throughout the offseason, Okwara has taken snaps standing up on the edge, with his hand in the dirt, and would even drop into coverage against running backs and tight ends.
But as we have seen too frequently during his first two years in the league, Okwara ran into the injury bug (leg) and has missed a significant portion of training camp, including both of the Lions’ preseason games. It’s unclear if Okwara’s multiple leg injuries are related to the broken leg that cost him his senior year in college, but what we do know, is that he has only played in 19 games over the last two seasons.