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The Detroit Lions made the move to end the season of cornerback Jeff Okudah, and the rookie’s first year in the league was cut short due to injury.
For Okudah, it wasn’t time to despair, but rather to share some positive news. Tuesday, he hopped on Twitter to share an update with fans. Within, he explained he had successful core muscle surgery and is on the mend. He also revealed some very important news. Okudah is indeed now a proud graduate of the Ohio State University.
Last season, Okudah declared early for the NFL Draft, so for him to finish his education is an amazing accomplishment indeed. The fact he was able to finish it during the season with the Lions only serves to make it more impressive. Rookies are forced to deal with a lot in their first year, and Okudah certainly had a lot to learn and juggle this season with Detroit.
Okudah has been dinged up nearly from the start of the season until this point. He started the year by being sat down for the opening game against Chicago in Week 1 and never rebounded with consistent play. It’s possible a big reason was this injury, which could have been lingering.
Hopefully, Okudah is able to continue his recovery from injury and get completely healthy for a huge sophomore year in the league. In the meantime, what an awesome accomplishment to graduate from college and get a degree wrapped up.
Jeff Okudah’s Future
The former third pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is going to have to have a major sophomore push and will have to do it with a new general manager and a new coaching staff. How will that impact his development? Obviously, Detroit’s next defensive coordinator is going to have to be a strong presence and arguably, Okudah will be counting on him the most for his development.
While many might be frustrated with Okudah’s 2020 season on the field, fans have to give the rookie a chance to develop and see what happens in the next few years. It’s more than likely that Okudah will find a way to rebound in a big way and use what he learned to his advantage moving forward in the league.
Jeff Okudah Rookie Stats
During his shortened season, Okudah was not the statistical dynamo that folks expected coming out of the draft given his position. He collected only 47 tackles, 1 interception and 2 passes defended and those are the numbers he will finish with. This year, Okudah has been more known for the plays he has given up on the field in certain weeks rather than the ones he has made on the field.
In college, Okudah was known for playing solid man coverage but so far, that has not translated to the NFL. After a tough rookie year, he will have to heal up and set about improving for next season.
He should have plenty of confidence to get that done given his positive start to the offseason.
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