Getty Jeffrey Okudah playing against Michigan.
The Detroit Lions have a goal of landing more impact players for their defense, and that goal could now be helped mostly by the 2020 NFL Draft.
If the Lions can make a trade, they could net even more picks with which to work, and that’s just what several analysts see them pulling off when all is said and done. Recently, Pro Football Focus and writer Michael Renner put together a new mock, and had the Lions and Miami Dolphins swapping the No. 3 and No. 5 picks. Miami comes up to No. 3, and gets a quarterback. Detroit, meanwhile, gets what they might want all along a few picks later and could be in the driver’s seat completely.
Here’s a look at the explantion:
“The Lions are in the driver’s seat with the No. 3 pick. It looks like it will be an all-out bidding war between the Dolphins and Chargers at this point, with Miami able to outbid any offer made by Los Angeles. That means it’s Tua Tagovailoa and his back-to-back 90.0-plus overall grades heading to Miami.”
With the No. 5 overall pick, the Lions go defense, and still manage to land Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah. Here’s a look at what Renner said about that selection:
“Detroit still gets its guy after trading down. The Lions still have a massive hole opposite newly acquired Desmond Trufant left by Darius Slay that Okudah can fill. On 31 targets in man coverage last year, Okudah allowed only 15 catches for 178 yards and one score.”
Obviously, the Lions trading down and still landing one of their preferred targets would be something for the team to hope for at this point, especially if they make a move. It might only be more likely that the Lions want to trade down after what’s happened in free agency and this offseason.
Jeffrey Okudah Called Lions Perfect Fit
Recently, a pair of Pro Football Focus analysts explained why Okudah is such a good fit for plenty of teams, especially the Lions, and why he ranks so highly given what he did in college.
“He is the number one cornerback in this draft class. He should be, realistically, the first cornerback drafted within the top three picks in a while,” they said. “It just hasn’t happened. It’s a rare thing to see, but for our money, the second most valuable position on the football field.”
When it came to the Lions, production is the thing that should catch their eye with Okudah most of all according to the PFF folks.
“Someone like the Lions should be more than willing to make Jeffrey Okudah their first round pick with just how dominant he’s been over the course of his college career. For his entire career in college he’s allowed 5.4 yards per target. From freshman year to junior year. That’s absurd. Rare to see a guy play at that high a level,” they said.”
Detroit might not be the only team to consider Okudah heavily, but their scheme could represent the best fit given man coverage.
“Three, four and five, Lions, Giants and Dolphins all would, should consider Okudah,” they said. “I think he is that good. We always speak to this too. With Okudah and Ohio State cornerbacks, they always play a ton of man coverage, having that experience, the Lions fit is too easy.”
The smart money remains on the Lions considering Okudah strongly when all is said and done given the need, his talent and the potential to build up a miserable defense.
Jeffrey Okudah Stats
Okudah could be the best player on the board when the Lions end up picking at No. 3. As also explained elsewhere, evaluators love his length and size. It could be a winning combination for a needy Detroit pass defense that has been exposed in a major way this season on the back end.
At Ohio State, Okudah has put up some excellent numbers in a short time. He’s collected 78 tackles, 3 interceptions, 16 passes defended and 2 fumble recoveries. Perhaps better than that for the Lions, he didn’t allow a completion over 50 yards this season.
That paints the portrait of a player who can be a potential lock down defender at the next level. Okudah has also been a popular selection in mock drafts for Detroit.
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