The Detroit Lions don’t have a lot of bright spots on their defense, and that’s been made clear with their play in recent seasons on the field. Even though that’s the case, it doesn’t mean there isn’t some very talented players in the mix.
With the Lions as bad as they are, plenty of their best players fly under the radar in the NFL every year. As a result, the team has plenty of folks who could be classified as under-appreciated on their roster, but only one stands out at this point in time, and it’s defensive end Romeo Okwara.
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Recently, NFL.com writer Cynthia Frelund put together a look at the most underrated players in the league who don’t get appreciated enough. Naturally, for the Lions, Okwara was the pick thanks to the numbers he puts up on the field and some of the athletic abilities he brings to the mix.
She wrote:
“Okwara stands out on third down, where his 30 pressures and 23.8 percent pressure rate both led the league in 2020, according to NGS. His 51 overall pressures were more than twice as many as the next-closest Lions (Everson Griffen had 23). Prior to last season’s 13.4 pressure rate overall, Okwara had never finished a year in double digits. Measuring Okwara’s burst, he improved by about 0.7 seconds in 2020 from any of the four seasons prior. That is a massive increase, likely reflecting both better usage and performance in different alignments, as well as the players around him being more consistent than in prior years.”
Okwara has certainly flown under the radar more than a bit for the team given he plays in Detroit, but it’s clear he has been one of the team’s best waiver wire finds on the market.
Lions Making Okwara a Defensive Cornerstone
The Lions made a huge statement to Okwara this offseason when they re-signed him to a three-year contract. It was the first move Detroit made in free agency, which likely spoke volumes to Okwara about the committment the franchise has to the defensive end. By putting their money where their mouth is, the Lions are sending the message that Okwara is a potential cornerstone piece for the defense who they want to see develop through the years.
With the move to bring Okwara back, the team sent the message that they want him to perhaps be a bit more appreciated on the field. Whether he can get to that point is anyone’s guess, but if he lives in the opposition’s backfield enough, Okwara will become even tougher to ignore.
Okwara’s Stats
If there was one dangerous pass rusher this past season for the Lions that has stepped up, it was Okwara, who came alive at the right time for Detroit most of the 2020 season. As a whole this season, Okwara managed to collect the most sacks of any Lions player (10) and he also thrives on creating pressure and panic in the pocket. With this in mind, it’s fair to say that Okwara figures to drive the bus for Detroit in terms of pass rush and has been going it alone most of the time in Detroit. That boosted his stock this past offseason, but he stuck with the Lions.
As a whole, Okwara has 20 sacks to this point in his career coming into 2021 and lost a few seasons to nagging injuries. This season, he looked all but sure to pass his high water mark of 7.5 sacks from a few years back and that happened easily.
Okwara represented the entirety of the Detroit pass rush himself last season, which is why he managed to make a lot of money for himself and stick around with the Lions. Now, he will try to generate a bit more attention for himself in the future.
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