Getty Jeff Okudah reacts after a big play.
The Detroit Lions selected Jeff Okudah early in the 2020 NFL Draft, and the hope is that he can make a quick impact in the league.
So far, it’s still a mystery how big a role Okudah will play right off the bat, but one ESPN analyst thinks it will be enough to get the cornerback the biggest award a young NFL defender can land. On the network, former cornerback Domonique Foxworth said he believes Okudah will claim this season’s Rookie of the Year award.
Dominique Foxworth predicting on ESPN just now that Detroit Lions CB Jeff Okudah will be defensive ROY — “great shutdown corner.”
In camp, the Lions have held things close to the vest in terms of Okudah’s role with the team. He’s frequently been on the field, but he’s also been on the sidelines or with the second team. Whether this means his overall role is in jeopardy to start the year is unclear, but obviously, Okudah would have to have a huge start in order to put himself on track for the award.
Typically, cornerbacks don’t claim the award as it’s a tough spot to adjust to and a place on the defense that usually doesn’t pile up glamor stats.
Lions fans would love to see Okudah claim the award no matter how non-realistic it might seem at this point. After Sunday, folks will know a whole lot more about the trajectory of their young cornerback.
Jeff Okudah Named Compelling Award Candidate
If he is to win the award, he will have earned it. Okudah won’t have an easy go of it as he starts his career. According to ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell, Okudah is going to be one of the most compelling people to watch in the league this season as a result of where he was drafted and who he figures to line up against. Okudah came in at No. 35 on Barnwell’s list of the 40 most compelling personalities in football this season, and he explained that his early slate of challenges is a big reason why.
Barnwell wrote:
“It’s foolish to count on most cornerbacks to do much during their rookie season. Okudah has no choice but to jump right into the fire. The highest-drafted cornerback of the past two decades, he joins a Lions team that traded away Darius Slay and has played more man coverage under coach Matt Patricia than anybody in the league besides New England. He starts with Allen Robinson (Bears), Davante Adams (Packers), DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals) and Michael Thomas (Saints) before the Lions’ Week 5 bye. No pressure.”
Robinson, Adams, Hopkins, and Thomas is merely just the start. The rest of the season, the Lions will also see several other similarly elite names such as T.Y. Hilton, Julio Jones, Adam Thielen, Michael Thomas, Brandin Cooks and A.J. Brown. It’s not the easiest slate, which is why Okudah will have to rely on his teammates to help him adjust through the ups and downs that are sure to come.
Life is going to come at Okudah very fast as he’s soon about to learn, which is probably the reason the Lions have not completely committed to him being the starter as of yet. Smart money remains on Okudah playing a big role for the team as a whole this season. The impact he makes, however, could be another story.
Okudah seems ready based on his mindset, but until he reacts after being thrown into the fire and dealing with these challenges, there’s simply no way of predicting what will happen.
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
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? Likely near the top of this group when all is said and done and camp eventually concludes, 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.
Wherever Okudah starts, many believe he finishes 2020 in elite standing.