Getty Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers runs with the ball while being chased by Duron Harmon #26 and Jeff Okudah #30 of the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Lambeau Field on September 20, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Davante Adams showed no mercy against Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah during his NFL debut on Sunday afternoon.
The Green Bay Packers‘ top wide receiver got acquainted with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft on Sunday afternoon when Adams used his elite route-running skills to ditch Okudah and get open for an easy first-down reception.
As you can see below, Adams’ swift release at the line of scrimmage allowed him to create a ton of open space and left Okudah playing catch-up until he ran him out of bounds.
davante adams taking souls at the LOS, a tradition like no other
While Adams ended up missing the majority of the second half with a hamstring injury and only made three catches in the Packers’ win, he ended up getting a few more opportunities to show the rookie how difficult life can be as an NFL defender covering him twice a year.
Adams also slipped Okudah with a burst of speed off the line of scrimmage and got open in the middle of the field for a 17-yard reception, his longest catch of the day.
Davante Adams baptizing Jeffrey Okudah in his NFL debut
Now, it would be difficult to find a more challenging first matchup for a rookie cornerback than Adams — even if Okudah probably got off easy with the Packers star missing most of the second half — but the rivalry between the Packers’ top receiver and Okudah should be fascinating to watch over the next few years. Okudah will have a little less than three months to prepare for their rematch on Dec. 13 in Detroit.
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Rodgers Reacted to Okudah’s Selection Live
Okudah’s other challenge for Sunday’s debut was playing against an all-time great quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, who found ways to make the rookie pay beyond his passes to Adams in the second quarter. One of the rookie’s worst moments came when Marquez Valdes-Scantling beat him with speed down the sideline and hauled in a 41-yard pass from Rodgers on 3rd-and-14.
But, as Rodgers recognized months ago, a rookie drafted as high as Okudah is bound to develop into a stud defender in time.
“It means you go at him until they figure it out, that’s for sure, Rodgers said during a draft-day appearance on the Pat McAfee Show in April, reacting live to Okudah’s selection and explaining how he approaches a high-prestige corner joining a rival team.
“To be the third pick in the draft, you have to be a stud player,” Rodgers added. “When Minnesota picked Xavier Rhodes early about six, seven years ago (in 2013), you knew this kid was going to be unbelievable, like once he figured it out. And you knew you might have one year, maybe two years where you could take some shots at him. But at some point, he was going to be locking guys down.”
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