Getty Jeff Okudah before a Lions game against Washington.
For the last few years, Jeff Okudah has faced more football adversity in a short time with the Detroit Lions than most players endure in an entire career.
In his first year in the league, Okudah was picked on mercilessly as most rookies are. After holding his head above water for the first few months of the year, a groin injury struck and ended Okudah’s season prematurely. A coaching change then threw everything into flux, and just as the cornerback was getting his feet wet in a new system, an even more devastating injury prevented his development.
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Okudah was lost after Week 1 in 2021 with an ugly ACL injury, and has had to rehab himself since. Not much has been said about his healing process this offseason, but a key update that has surfaced seems to show things going very well for the young player.
Recently, Barstool Detroit unearthed some video on social media that shows Okudah running in a full straight line sprint during a workout. Here’s a look at Okudah showing off his speed:
Jeff Okudah is about to come back faster than Forrest Gump next season
To some, it might not be notable to see Okudah running around in a straight line, but considering where he was in September and October, this is a major positive to note. It certainly appears as if Okudah’s recovery is going well, and if that is the case, it would be big news for a Lions defense that needs him in 2022.
Many see the defensive backfield as a major weakness on the team even with names like Jerry Jacobs, Amani Oruwariye, AJ Parker and others on the roster. Okudah is a key part of that group, too, and he could serve notice of that if he is able to come into the offseason program healthy and making a difference.
Okudah Needs More Time for Detroit Turnaround
With the injury troubles and struggles on the field in focus for the cornerback early in his career, many have wondered if the Lions might decide to give up on Okudah altogether this offseason. While it might be tempting to see the Lions move on from a pick many have deemed as a failure already, it’s probably not wise to assume the Lions will be cutting bait with Okudah just yet.
Before injury, Okudah was struggling in the first game of the season during Week 1. He had been called out on the field by defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant, who is now a household name. It was one of the great disappointments for the 2021 Lions to not see how Okudah would have reacted to that tough first game and if he could have grown along with the defensive backfield he plays in. Most of his teammates showed outstanding growth as the season wore on. Okudah will have his chance at doing that next season.
For that reason, and his draft position, the Lions are likely to give Okudah another chance at a strong injury return for the team this year.
Okudah’s Rookie Stats & Highlights
The 2020 rookie season wasn’t phenomenal statistically for Okudah, who only put up 47 tackles, 2 passes defended and 1 interception in 2020. The cornerback fought injury most of his rookie season and was never completely right, and also may have never felt comfortable with the coaching he was being given by Matt Patricia and company. As a result, Okudah struggled as a rookie and was often picked on by the opposition leading to some rough days on the field like he experienced early in the season in Green Bay. The stats didn’t show a player primed to make a huge impact, but it’s more than possible that Okudah can turn this around quickly this season and have a much better showing. If he could be around 80 tackles and have closer to 5 interceptions in 2021, that would have to be seen as some huge strides forward and a major positive.
Here’s a look at some of his work during his rookie year:
Okudah does have some obvious talent to rely on so the hope is that he can bounce back from another injury and be ready for the offseason program. So far, that looks to be the case.
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