The NFL has some truly great pass rushers active in 2020. From Myles Garrett and his league-leading 9.5 sacks to Khalil Mack, with no slight to Chris Jones or Brandon Graham, it’s a pass rusher’s world.
So seeing Romeo Okwara in the top five in QB pressure rate is a little startling. Okwara? From the…Lions? The team that gets no pressure?!
Yep. It’s time to quell the narrative that the Detroit defensive front is incapable of creating pressure. Okwara is proving he’s one of the best in the league at it. He’s behind only T.J. Watt, Aaron Donald and Joey Bosa in getting pressure on 17 percent of his pass rushes, per Pro Football Focus. That’s a higher rate than any of the guys mentioned above, including Garrett — the front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year.
Highest pressure rate this season:
1. T.J. Watt – 18.2%
2. Aaron Donald – 18%
3. Joey Bosa – 17.4%
4. Romeo Okwara – 17%
5. Chase Winovich- 16.5% pic.twitter.com/ahRIlZ28Sc— PFF (@PFF) November 17, 2020
Okwara hasn’t finished the pressures with as high of a rate. He’s got 6.0 sacks, tied for 12th in the NFL. He needs just 1.5 more to match his career-high in 2018. Based on his ability to generate pressure, Okwara should get there soon.
