Getty Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah working out before an NFL game.
New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas has done a phenomenal job getting great value when sending players away.
Although he hasn’t felt comfortable enough to pull a blockbuster trade to acquire big-time talent yet during his tenure.
According to one insider, those winds could be changing sooner rather than later.
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A Big Time Trade Incoming?
ESPN’s Rich Cimini on the Flight Deck podcast was asked about the chances the Jets make a “major trade this offseason”:
“Joe Douglas has never made that kind of Stefon Diggs trade. All of the trades he has made, and he has made many, are always dealing away assets. I think a blockbuster trade like that is more apt to happen in 2023. Douglas sees this playoff/championship window as starting in 2023.”
Cimini then added that “there is always the chance they change the plan if they see something really attractive.”
He then speculated that one move that could make sense is Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah:
“A talented player who has maybe worn out his welcome in another place and the player that comes to mind is Okudah in Detroit. A very high draft pick from a few years ago that hasn’t done much, but is still a talented player. Obviously a position of need for the Jets. If a player of that caliber became available maybe they’d make that kind of trade.”
Gang Green has two first-rounders, two second-rounders, a third-rounder, a pair of fourth-rounders, and a pair of fifth-rounders in the 2022 NFL draft. In other words, if Douglas sees fit he has the assets to make a bold trade.
Evaluating This Potential Opportunity
Okudah was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of Ohio State.
The 22-year-old has only played in 10 games in two years due to a variety of injuries: hamstring, core muscle surgery, and most recently he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the season opener that knocked him out for the year.
Okudah still has two years left on his rookie contract and a fifth-year option for 2024.
This current Lions regime, head coach, and general manager has no ties to Okudah, he was grandfathered in. With all of the assets the Jets possess, this could be a unique opportunity to give the young man a fresh start.
Gang Green is in desperate need of an upgrade on the backend of their defense and Okudah still has all the potential in the world to be that lockdown corner at this level.
While he has dealt with some serious injury concerns, he is not that far removed from his days at Ohio State where he was taking over the college football landscape.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wasn’t afraid to share his expectations for Okudah in his pre-draft profile:
- A dream prospect with blue-chip physical traits
- 7.15 prospect grade puts him in the “perennial All-Pro” category
- Self-motivated and driven to succeed
It is worth noting that earlier this year the Jacksonville Jaguars sent their star cornerback who went No. 9 overall in that same 2020 NFL draft in a trade to the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers sent tight end Dan Arnold and a 2022 third-rounder for CJ Henderson and a 2022 fifth-rounder.
If the Jets were going to make a blockbuster trade, the cornerback position is an area that would make a ton of sense.
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