Chicago Bears: Ranking edge rushing duos in NFC North

4. Trey Flowers and Julian Okwara

The Lions don’t necessarily have a pass rusher opposite Trey Flowers, which is why 2020 third-round pick Julian Okwara is likely to start opposite Flowers. There are multiple reasons that the Lions are ranked last on this list.

First, Flowers is paid like he’s one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. His average salary is $18 million a year, however, he’s not in the same tier as someone like Khalil Mack, Von Miller, or Za’Darius Smith. In five seasons, Flowers has not yet reached double-digit sacks.

Another reason that Detroit is ranked last on this list is merely because Okwara has not yet played a down in the NFL. For someone who played their college football at Notre Dame, Okwara totaled 24 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks over a four-year period.

The reality is that unless Okwara bursts onto the scene in 2020, Detroit doesn’t really have a guy like Preston Smith, Robert Quinn, or Yannick Ngakoue on the roster. In other words, Flowers doesn’t have a true running mate, which puts more pressure on Flowers to live up to expectations.