Getty Matt Patricia taking on the Broncos.
The Detroit Lions are a very dinged up team heading into Week 1 of the NFL season, and their top draft pick isn’t going to be joining them on the field.
According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, the Lions won’t be playing cornerback Jeff Okudah against the Chicago Bears. Okudah has been dealing with a hamstring injury and was questionable on the injury report this week.
#Lions No. 3 overall pick CB Jeff Okudah, listed as questionable, is not expected to make his debut today, source said. He’s been dealing with a hamstring injury.
The team has been fighting a rash of hamstring injuries leading into the season, and while Okudah’s exact role as a starter was unclear heading into the game, the team likely wanted to have him at their disposal to start the season. Now, that apparently will have to wait for safety’s sake.
Cory Undlin Impressed by Jeff Okudah
The talent of the rookie corner has been evident early on in camp for Lions defensive coordinator Cory Undlin. Speaking with the media over the weekend, Undlin was asked about Okudah’s trajectory. As he said, he has started slow, but the rookie hasn’t been on the field a ton for the team either.
Undlin said:
“He’s a rookie and he missed a couple practices there early in camp. He’s really been on the grass 7 times. For me myself, I got to keep the perspective where it should be. Without OTA’s, and I know you can meet on Zoom and we spent all that time on those Zoom meetings, it’s not the same. When it starts and it’s live, there’s an adjustment that’s got to take place. Not to mention the running around with the wideouts we have on offense. But at the end of the day, after 7 practices for him or 8, he is on a steady incline which is all we can ask. I like the direction he’s heading in. We aren’t there yet. I don’t think any of us are there yet.”
A coach pressing pause on the hype machine for a rookie is nothing new, and in this case it’s not only justified but probably important. Okudah is transitioning to the league at a very difficult position to play. How much the team elects to get him involved is anybody’s guess, but it’s fair to say that the team will be prepared to lean on him at some point fairly early on.
While the start has been slow, Undlin still sees good things going for Okudah.
Lions Cornerback Battle Fierce
Luckily for the Lions, the team has some options as it relates to an Okudah replacement in Week 1. Detroit has a good competition brewing in the second level, where Amani Oruwaryie and Desmond Trufant have stepped up early and shown their stuff. Tony McRae has also taken steps toward showing he can be a key veteran contributor, and prior to injury, Mike Ford was looking like a player who was going to carve out a role on the roster for the team. All told, the team has fairly good depth at the spot.
Where does Okudah fit in with this even if healthy? Likely near the top of this group when all is said and done, but cornerback can be a difficult position to master at the next level. The team is probably very smart to be starting him slow, especially given the way the offseason has played out in 2020.
The hope is Okudah can now get healthy and get himself back on the field moving forward, but it doesn’t look like it will be this week.
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