Getty D'Andre Swift before playing the Packers in the season finale.
It’s often said that the best way to get a read on an NFL draft is to grade it a few years down the line instead of in real-time. With that in mind, folks are beginning to look back on the 2020 NFL draft.
A few years back, many believed the Detroit Lions hit a home run with their 2020 class. The 9 picks that were made all came at positions of major need, but all of a sudden, things don’t seem as bright for the class a few years later. Lots of that could have to do with the fact that their standout player has not panned out nor stayed healthy just yet.
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Thinking about this issue was Pro Football Focus writer Trevor Sikkema. Recently, Sikkema re-graded all of the 2020 draft classes, and when it came to the Lions, he walked back an original ‘A’ grade and gave the team a ‘B’ for their work. He based this mostly on the fact that cornerback Jeff Okudah looked “overwhelmed” early in his career and has been injury prone. Otherwise, he credits Julian Okwara and Jonah Jackson for bouncing back, and says that D’Andre Swift had some strong showings before injury harmed his development with the team.
As a whole, this might be a bit harsh and a bit early to lower the grade that dramatically. The Lions have had a few misses in the class, but there is still time for the class to add some players to the mix that will help
Analyzing Lions’ 2020 Draft Class
Overall, while Okudah has been a frustration so far, the Lions have seen other positives come about from this class, and many showed up in 2021. Swift could be a difference maker at running back, and the team might have found a capable defender in Okwara given his 5 sacks this year. Jackson looks like a solid player for the team’s offensive front who could be a force into the future. While Quintez Cephus may not have been a high selection, he was looking like one of the team’s better young wideouts in 2021 until injury struck. John Penisini has also been a solid rotational interior defender, which is good for a sixth-round selection.
It might be a bit too early to project this class a total bust and lower their grade a full score. If Swift, Jackson and Okwara turn out, that will make the class a relative win. Getting Cephus to be a difference maker could only add to the overall depth of the class, outside of what happens with Okudah.
Lions Depending on Okudah Returning to Form
Perhaps the biggest variable that the class is hinging on is whether or not Okudah can become a serviceable defender in the league. So far, there haven’t been great signs that this is on the way, which makes 2022 a huge season to watch in the team’s defensive backfield.
The rookie season wasn’t phenomenal statistically for Okudah, who only put up 47 tackles, 2 passes defended and 1 interception in 2020. The cornerback fought injury most of his rookie season and was never completely right, and also may have never felt comfortable with the coaching he was being given by Matt Patricia and company. As a result, Okudah struggled as a rookie and was often picked on by the opposition leading to some rough days on the field. In the season opener before he got hurt, Okudah was busy getting an earful from Aubrey Pleasant, his position coach.
Injuries have been a big part of Okudah’s story thus far. In 2020, Okudah was dinged up in his rookie year and had to undergo a groin procedure which cost him time on the field. This year’s ACL injury is providing him with yet another setback that he will have to push through early in his time in the league.
Detroit’s 2020 draft class could go either way at this point, even if others don’t feel good about the direction right now.
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