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The Detroit Lions found a pair of budding stars in their edge-rusher group in last year’s NFL Draft, and one player struggling to replicate his breakout 2020 season could now be left behind when the team finalizes its 53-man roster, an insider suggests.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggested that defensive end Romeo Okwara could end up as trade bait before the start of the season, noting that he could be crowded out of a deep position brimming with young talent. Other insiders have suggested the Lions could be prepared to move on from Okwara, setting up what could be a tense final week before final roster cutdowns on August 29.
Lions Urged to Deal Injury-Plagued Edge Rusher
Ballentine noted that Okwara flashed plenty of promise in 2020, when he racked up 10 sacks, but injuries have hampered his career since then. But Okwara appeared in just nine games over the course of the last two injury-shortened seasons, collecting a total of three sacks and 14 tackles during that time.
While Okwara was working his way through injuries, the Lions were investing heavily in the position and found two potential stars, Ballentine added.
“In that time, the Detroit Lions’ group of edge defenders has moved on without him. Aidan Hutchinson is obviously the star, but James Houston looked great as a rookie before an injury ended his season,” he wrote.
Ballentine wrote that Okwara has “a long road to make the 53-man roster,” but could still hold value to the Lions given his past production. He suggested the Lions could trade Okwara to the Atlanta Falcons, who are in need of depth among their pass rushers and could use the 28-year-old’s veteran leadership.
“The Falcons did a lot to beef up their interior pass rush with Calais Campbell and David Onyemata joining the team. Another veteran on the edge could make a difference,” Ballentine wrote.
Others see Okwara as a potential trade candidate. Ballentine Bleacher Report colleague Matt Holder also suggested the edge rusher could hit the trade block before the start of the season.
More Surprises for the Lions
Okwara may not be the only edge rusher in roster trouble in Detroit. MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke suggested that Houston may not be assured of a spot on the final roster, despite his breakout rookie season where he finished second only to teammate Hutchinson among all rookies for sacks.
Meinke pointed out that Houston has not done much to separate himself from the pack during training camp and the preseason, which could leave him vulnerable to release at next week’s cutdown deadline.
“Improved depth means more competition than ever at the back end of this rotation,” Meinke wrote. “That’s especially true on the perimeter, where a guy like Julian Okwara officially has three sacks in the preseason and added a fourth against Jacksonville, although that one was nullified by a penalty away from the play. Still, I think he has work left to do to make the team. There are just too many pass rushers who have been better.”
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