Handing Out Grades for the Detroit Lions’ 2020 NFL Draft Class
#3: Jeff Okudah, Cornerback, Ohio State University
The Detroit Lions held the number three overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after finishing the 2019 season with a 3-12-1 record. There was much speculation around a trade down and which of the elite defensive prospects the Lions would take with their first selection. It was widely thought to be between Okudah, Derrick Brown, and Isaiah Simmons.
As it turns out, after not finding a trade partner, the Lions chose to add the Ohio State cornerback to their roster over the defensive tackle and linebacker. Jeff Okudah was the right choice to make and general manager Bob Quinn did not miss on his first draft pick of the year.
Okudah was the best cornerback in the draft and was the perfect fit for the Lions’ defensive system. He is long, fast, and athletic. He has everything you want in a man-cover corner and can develop into one of the best corners in the NFL. He has quick hips that allow him to turn and run with the receiver without losing much separation on the receiver.
He can match up with every type of receiver on the field, from the fast John Ross-types to the physically dominant Julio Jones-types. With the way that head coach Matt Patricia likes to move his corners around on a per-game basis, matching up against a specific wide-out, Okudah’s abilities will come in handy. Look for Okudah to start out as a top 15 corner in the league, with perennial All-Pro potential.