Getty Jeff Okudah during Ohio State's bowl game.
It’s not easy to become a defensive back in the NFL, much less one who was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.
Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah is set to take on that life soon, but others are already beginning to see the talent in the player shine through. Recently, Bleacher Report took a look at naming some early themes from training camp and when it came to the Lions, the observation is all about Okudah.
According to the site, early on, they’ve learned that Okudah is “ready” to take on the NFL. Here’s a look at why writer Kristopher Knox thinks this is the case:
“The Detroit Lions traded Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay this offseason and then used the third overall pick in April’s draft on Ohio State product Jeff Okudah to replace him. This creates lofty expectations for Okudah, who, at the very least, will probably be expected to start in Week 1.
Offseason acquisition and veteran cornerback Desmond Trufant—once a first-round pick himself—believes Okudah has what it takes to be a successful early starter.
Ideally, Okudah won’t just be a rookie starter; he’ll also have a significant and positive impact on the Lions secondary. Detroit ranked dead last in passing yards allowed last season.”
The Lions expect big things out of Okudah this season, and it’s safe to say the pressure’s on for him to deliver quite quickly. This is the type of hype the team’s top rookie should be generating, and he needs to prove that he can deliver it on the field.
Jeff Okudah Impresses Lions Veteran Defender
Speaking with the media, safety Duron Harmon talked about the evolution of his new team’s secondary, and admitted that Jeff Okudah has already impressed him in plenty of ways. Perhaps most notably, Okudah picked the brain of Harmon as it relates to cornerback Stephon Gilmore, one of his former teammates and one of the best cornerbacks in football.
On Zoom call with #Lions Duron Harmon. Spoke highly of rookie Jeff Okudah. Said, “the talent is there for sure.” Said he was asking him questions about the Pats and Stephon Gilmore.
Interestingly, Okudah has cited Gilmore as his favorite cornerback to watch, so he must have been thrilled to get one of his former teammates to compete with in Detroit. Clearly, the excitement and passion of Okudah is something that has captured attention around the facility this offseason. The rookie has a big job ahead of him, but with preparation like this, it would be easy to see him finding a way to obsess about how to be the best and then make it happen on the field.
Detroit’s new look secondary has plenty to learn and put together, but with Okudah, class is already in session and he’s asking all the right questions already.
Matt Patricia Praises Jeff Okudah
Joining Good Morning Football last week, Patricia was asked about cornerback Jeff Okudah, and as he said, the building has already been buzzing about his love of football and desire to learn even with the short time he has been on the team.
(Part 2) Friend of the show and @Lions HC Matt Patricia joined #GMFB to talk about safety protocols, players opting out, Matt Stafford, @jeffokudah, @DAndreSwift, and more!
Plus, coach shows our guy @nateburleson some love 👀
Patricia said:
“Jeff’s been great. He wants as much information (as possible), he wants knowledge. He wants to be the best player he can be. From that standpoint you love players like that who love football. We got a long way to go with it, but his drive, his enthusiasm, his wanting to win and be the best is something I love and I got to do everything possible to help him achieve it.”
Obviously, Patricia won’t be the only one to sing the praises of the youngster by the time the season starts. It will be interesting to see if he can get it done.