3 most overrated Detroit Lions players entering the 2022 season

2. DE Romeo Okwara

Okwara deserves some grace and benefit of doubt as he works his way back from an Achilles’ tear that cost him 13 games last season. But in June Lions defensive line coach Todd Wash suggested he won’t be ready until the “middle of the season”, whatever that precisely means–if precision is even possible to tab.

Coming off his leading the team with 10 sacks in 2020, the Lions rewarded Okwara with a three-year, $37 million deal ($25 million guaranteed) last offseason. Then he got hurt, and wasn’t all that impactful in the four games he did play last season (six tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, two quarterback hits).

Okwara emerged on the scene in his first season as a Lion (2018), with 7.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss in 15 games (14 starts). Then he dropped to 1.5 sacks over 14 games in 2019, before the aforementioned double-digit sack season in 2020. Now, he’s in line to miss a notable chunk of back-to-back seasons.

With the emergence of Charles Harris last year and the additions of Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Paschal in April’s draft, Okwara’s role when he is able to play this season isn’t necessarily in line to be substantial. He could even lose snaps to his promising younger brother, Julian.

It’s not all Okwara’s fault he makes this list. But inconsistency and now a major injury does shine light on him as being overrated, with so few overly qualified options on the Lions’ roster.