Notre Dame Football: Could Julian Okwara sneak into first round?

Notre Dame football star Julian Okwara’s season was cut short by a broken fibula. He is still a top EDGE prospect and here’s where he could land.

Julian Okwara has been a cornerstone of Notre Dame’s pass rush the last two years in South Bend. This past season, his season was cut short by a broken leg that saw him miss the last four games including the bowl.

Despite this, Okwara is considered a top prospect by most for two reasons. First, he has a high ceiling. His frame can carry more weight than his current 252 pounds. Second is his versatility. He can play rush end, outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme or defensive end. This may cause some to consider him a “tweener.” However, this notion is incorrect. He has the physical dimensions of a 3-4 outside linebacker that can grow into a more traditional end with the traits to excel at both.

Where does Okwara stack up against other defensive end and outside linebacker prospects? He is not Chase Young. That young man is in another stratosphere. He is a freak athlete with an elite skill set. Young is ready to be an every-down player right now.

What separates Okwara from K’Lavon Chaisson is that the former does not have as much experience dropping back and playing coverage though he’s shown he can when asked. He’s a step below most ends/linebackers with first-round grades.

Strengths

Physically, it is hard not to fall in love with his frame. He can fill out and add mass physically without negatively affecting his physical attributes. Okwara has fantastic bend despite his length. He has as good a first step as any pass rusher in this draft and a great nose for the quarterback.

Though he does not possess elite speed, he can run down plays from the backside and has great pursuit skills to the quarterback.

Depending on the scheme, he can be a plug and play starter from day one. At worst, he can be a situational pass rusher and develop into an every-down lineman.

Weaknesses

Okwara can get swallowed against the run. He struggles at times diagnosing the direction of a  run play and how to shed the block. He does not possess elite strength — specifically in his lower body — as he can be too much of an “upper-body” pass rusher. Though this is considered an initial weakness, this is something that can be developed.

He plays too upright at times despite his ability to bend. He did not play well in Notre Dame’s two losses. He was especially ineffective against NFL prospect Andrew Thomas of Georgia.

Draft Expectations

There is an old football saying, “You make two investments, the mortgage and the insurance.” It used to be the mortgage was the quarterback and the insurance was the blindside tackle. These days, part of that insurance is a high-caliber pass rusher. This is a passing league and you need to get to the quarterback without sacrificing players in coverage.

This might cause Okwara to slide up into the late-first round instead of the early-to-mid second round where his value is.

Most draft analysts have Young and Chaisson as the first two EDGE prospects off the board but EDGE3 is wide open.

Projecting Okwara is difficult because he is so gifted and talented, but he does have some question marks. Everything is going to come down to need and scheme. There are some 3-4 teams that will look hard after him but don’t expect him to go before someone like Zach Baun.

Projection: Mid-second round (Nos. 45-50)