Detroit Lions select Jeff Okudah in 2020 NFL Draft: Grading the pick
Jeff Okudah was a no brainer for the Detroit Lions after what was expected to be a possible trade down scenario.
There was a lot of talk about what would happen with the Detroit Lions and the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Instead of taking a successor Matthew Stafford, the Lions opted to replace Darrius Slay with a rookie from Ohio State Jeff Okudah. He’ll line up opposite newly acquired Desmond Trufant giving the Lions a solid combination at the corner position.
It continues their theme of building a solid defense to help their offense. Stafford hasn’t had a solid defense since being drafted by the Lions, head coach Matt Patricia is looking to give him that.
In the offseason, the Lions added a ton of talent in the front seven with the additions of Danny Shelton and Jaime Collins to pair with Tre Flowers. Once the backend begins to gel together the Lions defense could be dangerous.
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Okudah allows Patricia to use a multitude of coverages. He comes in with elite traits, he can play press coverage, man-off, and he has the instincts to play in zone. However, there’s no doubt the Lions will capitalize on his physicality at the line of scrimmage. At Ohio State, he didn’t have any holding calls or pass interference calls against him.
The former Ohio State corner will get tested early, playing in a division with Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers. However, they may want to be careful because he will make some teams pay. Don’t be surprised if Okudah works his way into the conversation as Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Next. 2020 NFL Draft grades: Instant reaction to first-round picks. dark
Overall, the Lions did what they needed to with the No. 3 pick. There weren’t any surprises and he was the best player available. Jefferey Okudah is a plug-and-play corner who’ll help the Lions right away.