Julian Okwara will play for a third career team in 2025. The veteran edge rusher signed with the Browns on Monday, per a team announcement. 
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Okwara spent his first four years with the Lions. The former third-round pick made 38 appearances with Detroit, but only four of those were starts. His highest workload came in 2021 with a 40% snap share; Okwara notched five sacks that season, which remains his personal best.
The 27-year-old landed a futures deal with the Eagles last winter, but he was ultimately among the team’s final roster cuts. Okwara quickly found a new home with the Cardinals, though, signing to their practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster in September and remained there the rest of the way. In all, Okwara made 13 appearances with Arizona in 2024, playing one third of the team’s defensive snaps.
That usage rate translated to just one sack and four quarterback pressures, which helps explain why Okwara remained on the open market this deep into free agency. The Notre Dame product will turn his attention to landing a roster spot during the summer as the Browns aim to add depth behind Myles Garrett along the edge. Za’Darius Smith was traded away midway through the 2024 campaign, creating a vacancy in the starting lineup. Former Bucs first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka signed a one-year deal in free agency, and the Browns still have the likes of Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Alex Wright in the fold.
Okwara will now join that group as he looks to carve out a role for himself. The Browns entered Monday with roughly $19.5MM in cap space, and this deal will no doubt check in near (or at) the veteran minimum. Cleveland could still look to make further moves before the draft as a result.