When the Detroit Lions selected Amani Oruwariye in the 5th round of the 2019 draft, most everyone thought the Lions were getting absolute value for the Penn State cornerback, who some viewed as a first-round prospect. However, it became increasingly clear it would take Oruwariye some time to acclimate to the NFL as cornerback is one of the tougher positions to transition to the pros from college.
The Lions gradually brought him in his rookie season, playing only 215 snaps while allowing 14 catches for 174 yards and three touchdowns in limited play. He was then handed the reigns as the full-time starter in sophomore season (the same year the Lions elected to take Jeff Okudah to pair with Oruwariye on the opposite side) but did not take the next step forward, allowing 42 catches for 720 yards and three touchdowns.
As the Lions transitioned from the Quinntricia era to the Holmes/Campbell era, Oruwariye made big strides in his third season under Aaron Glenn’s defensive scheme and leadership. He only allowed 582 yards and two touchdowns on 41 catches while recording a career-high six interceptions. While that’s an impressive stat line in itself, he also made massive improvements in other areas. He nearly slashed his yards after the catch in half, going from 302 in 2020 to just 154 in 2021, while lowering his QBR from 96.2 in 2020 to just 60.2 in 2021, which ranked near the top in the league.
There have been early discussions with the Lions brass to work out a deal for the breakout cornerback to keep him in Detroit for the long term, and during a media interview on Wednesday, Oruwariye has expressed that same desire.
“Absolutely, yeah. I love Detroit, I love being here. I love everything it’s given me–giving me a chance to play in the NFL. Ideally, that’s where I want to be at.”
The Lions were bit hard by the injury bug last year, especially in the cornerback room, losing Okudah right at the beginning of the season and then relying on UDFAs and street free agents to fill in the gaps. Oruwariye truly showed his leadership with the young corners and blossomed into one of the leaders on the defense and the entire franchise. It was no coincidence that Oruwariye took his biggest leap when Aaron Glenn took over as the defensive coordinator expressing his comfortability and highlighting his strengths.
“As the year went on, I think guys got comfortable,” Oruwariye said. “Obviously, there was a lot of guys rotating in and out, so just getting comfortable with the guys and the system. Towards the later weeks, we got better, and we got more comfortable. Just got to put myself in position to make plays.”
Oruwariye will be considered one of the key foundational pieces to build upon. He will probably be seen as the No. 1 corner heading into the season, with Okudah recovering from his ACL injury.
“I would love any kind of responsibility that, that brings because to me I think, like I said before, if you’re a corner in this league, you’re working your tail off, and you’re making plays to become that No. 1 corner, you want that respect around the league from receivers, from other corners, from everything. From your teammates in your locker room, so that’s always been the goal to be able to be that guy that has to step up to the plate every game, for sure.”
As the Lions look to make major bounds after some may call a home run draft and many returning players from free agency and injuries, the expectations are still being tempered by most. The Lions finished last season on a strong note as Oruwariye, and the rest of the Lions squad look to prove doubters wrong.
“I had a lot of good personal goals, I feel like, last year which were great and definitely a lot to build off of, but I think the next step is to win more games. I think coming over to next year, just bringing that experience and just trying to get any of the new guys to mesh into the room well and just elevate the younger guys’ game, and then just keep being consistent as much as I can and try to get some more Ws.”
