Notre Dame Football: Where will Irish prospects land in 2020 NFL Draft?

Julian Okwara, projected as a first round pick at the beginning of last season, might have found himself with that same projection today if not for a season ending leg injury suffered in Notre Dame’s win over Duke last season. Nevertheless, Okwara still projects as an early round pick with first round talent.

While Okwara contributed immediately as a freshman, it wasn’t until his sophomore season that he truly began to put his name on the map. The 2018 season was by far Okwara’s most productive, a year in which the junior recorded 12.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and an interception. Okwara was well on his way to another exceptional finish prior to his injury in 2019.

While the Bills and Falcons look like legitimate suitors for Okwara, the Los Angeles Rams are also desperate for pass-rushing help on the outside. With Aaron Donald attracting so much attention on the inside, adding an effective pass-rusher on the edge is sure to give offensive coordinators headaches on a weekly basis.

So far this offseason, the Rams have gone in the opposite direction after losing a combined 19.5 sacks from last season in the form of Dante Fowler and Clay Matthews. Bringing in Leonard Floyd won’t help much on that front, making the addition of a pass-rusher virtually a necessity for the Rams.