Getty Julian Okwara during a 2020 game for the Lions.
The Detroit Lions are looking for pass rush help for the 2021 season, and are trying to find it anywhere they can across the roster. Friday night against the Buffalo Bills, they saw a player make a big statement as it relates to this in Julian Okwara.
Okwara made a nice statement in his first time on the field in 2021, and got off to the kind of start that could help him make a case for a bigger role with the team moving forward this season.
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After an injury-plagued rookie season on the field, Okwara was given plenty of run in the preseason opener, being allowed to stay in most of the night. When he was playing, he didn’t disappoint, putting up 5 pressures and 18 pass rushing snaps as a tweet from Pro Football Focus pointed out.
Julian Okwara in tonight’s game:
🔹 18 pass-rushing snaps
🔹 5 pressures 👀
Football runs in the family 💪
Okwara also collected 2 sacks on the night, and it was a good performance for the edge rusher during the game which showcased the kind of player he can be for the Lions if he gets some seasoning and some experience.
It was arguably the biggest news on the night to see Okwara dominate on defense like he did, and a great statement made by the young player as it relates to his roster inclusion.
Julian Okwara Happy Getting Back to Work
In terms of his own reaction to the event, Okwara said he was just happy to get back on the field and show what he can do to the team, given he had a rough start to his career in 2020 thanks to injury and other variables.
As he told the media after the game, it was good to get more experience for the future with the play on the night.
“It was nice to go out there and see some fans and just get some more experience under my belt. Last year I got hurt and stuff like that. Experience is the most important thing, doesn’t matter how much. Getting able to be in game shape and execute was the most important thing no matter how many reps it was,” Okwara said after the game.
While the Lions weren’t able to win the game, Okwara was able to knock some rust off and perform well, which is huge for his confidence moving forward the rest of the preseason.
Romeo Okwara Reacts to Brother’s Big Night
Football is a family affair within Okwara group, so naturally, the person who was most glad to see the big night was Romeo Okwara. As a starter, Romeo didn’t see much run, but he was quick to post a reaction to the big event in his family which revolved around his brother’s big performance.
Here’s a look at what he had to say, simply sharing a demon face:
Seeing both brothers become terrors off the edge would be big news for the Detroit defense, and it’s clear that the Lions have a possible dynamic duo brewing in the set of brothers. The big performance from the first game shows what the future could hold as it relates to this.
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