Getty Jeff Okudah playing with Ohio State.
Emmanuel Acho played in the NFL and is now a commentator for ESPN, so there’s not a lot he hasn’t seen in football, especially on defense.
According to Acho, Okudah is a player who is a generational talent at cornerback coming into the league for the Detroit Lions. In the aftermath of the Lions picking up Okudah with the No. 3 pick in the draft, Acho said that Okudah plays incredibly smart on the field, and showed a great example of why.
Jeff Okudah🇳🇬🇳🇬 to the #Lions
A generation talent at cornerback.
What makes him special- #AchoAnswers
@jeffokudah @PrideOfDetroit @davebirkett #NFLDraft2020
As Acho shows, Okudah makes an intelligent play in a game where he is able to break off a route, fall backwards and still make an interception. Additionally, Acho displays Okudah’s toughness in coverage, and his ability to stand up to the best wide receiver on the other team physically.
“He’s a generational talent. Elite ball skills, elite press coverage. Jeff Okudah is a dog,” Acho says in conclusion of the clip.
Across the board, plenty of folks have this opinion about Okudah, and it will be fascinating to see how his NFL career goes as a result. Many believe it could be a legendary one.
Jeff Okudah Excited Joining Lions
After being selected, Okudah showed off a new virtual trading card from Panini, but also shared his excitement to be coming to the Lions. He even flashed the One Pride rally cry, as well as giving a “Go Lions” to the fans.
One team, one goal, #OnePride. Let’s GOOO @Lions 🙌. Check out my new #PaniniInstant card here t.co/hS0RzQr64P #NFLDraft #WhoDoYouCollect
Okudah also said he is ready to be in the mix, and no words can describe his excitement to join the team.
Obviously, Okudah will have a bit of ground to make up with several fans in Michigan considering his Ohio State roots given his team has beaten up Michigan and Michigan State the last few seasons, but with a solid enough performance in the secondary, everyone will be able to overlook that.
Okudah also spoke humbly after being picked by the team about his ability to fit in and assimilate with the team.
@SiriusXMNFL Asked if he’s ready to be a lock-down corner for the Lions: “It’s definitely a big challenge. I’m just ready to go into that locker room, begin to earn my teammates’ respect and that’ll be the first step. We’ll go from there after that.”
It will be fun to see how Okudah adjusts to being a top dog on the Detroit defense, but it’s clear that he’s ready to fit in and make an impact for the team from a mental standpoint.
Jeffrey Okudah Called Perfect Fit For Lions
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 remained 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. That’s just what they did.
Jeffrey Okudah Stats
Okudah was long figured to 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, and that was proven right when the team selected him.
Obviously, folks are awake to the talent Okudah is bringing to the league.