The Detroit Lions selected Jeff Okudah, a player widely expected to be the best cornerback in the 2020 NFL Draft. Despite some notable thoughts otherwise from the outside during the process, that was the plan all along for the team.
Matt Patricia joined Good Morning Football and was asked about his newly minted cornerback Okudah. As he said, in the end, the talents of the former Ohio State Buckeyes star simply won the team over to the point where they love the fit and the talent match in their own scheme.
“He’s physical, he’s tough, he’s got a great skill set at the CB position. We had a guy we really liked so we just wanted to take him and go forward. Everyone in the top 10 did a great job of holding their cards tight.”
.@Lions HC Matt Patricia on drafting @jeffokudah.
“He’s just a young man we spent a lot of time on,” Patricia said. “I think he’s a really excellent player in college football. We knew his coaches, we talked to them at length. He’s been very productive. He’s physical, he’s tough. He’s got a great skill set at the corner position. Just felt he fit one of the needs we needed on our team.”
Obviously, Detroit had a major need at cornerback considering the trade of Darius Slay this past offseason, so the selection of Okudah made sense and wasn’t a stretch at all for the Lions. The team seems to be thrilled with what Okudah can do for them and excited to see what type of strides he can make in the NFL.
Lions Weren’t Close To Trading Pick No. 3
Many wondered for a while if the Lions could consider moving back in the draft to acquire more picks. While the idea sounded good in theory to everyone, it wasn’t close to being reality according to Patricia.
The coach was asked about the potential for a deal within the same interview and said that most teams within the top 10 were merely content to hold on to their picks. As a result, the Lions never had a serious chance to make the trade many craved.
“No, I think everyone in the top 10 did a good job of holding their cards tight and not letting everyone know what they were gonna do. I think everyone just sat where they were and picked who they wanted to pick,” Patricia said.
In the end, the Lions merely joined them and got the player they wanted.
“We certainly always look for different opportunities in the draft whether it’s to move up or move back, but in that particular situation nobody was really doing anything as far as trades or moving up,” Patricia explained. “We had a guy we really liked, so just wanted to take him and go forward.”
Jeff Okudah’s Fit With Lions Explained
A few months ago during the lead up to the draft, 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 have been 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.”
Turns out that fit is a big reason Patricia and the Lions have moved on with Okudah being their top selection of 2020.
Jeff Okudah Stats
Okudah was the best player on the board when the Lions ended 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, and that’s just what the Lions see in his game.
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Matt Patricia Explains Jeff Okudah’s Strong Fit With Lions