Getty Jeff Okudah playing in a Lions preseason game in 2022.
The Detroit Lions elected to give one of their more complicated players a fresh start on Tuesday, April 11, with news that the team was dealing cornerback Jeff Okudah.
Once a former third-overall pick in 2020, Okudah had spent the last three seasons in Detroit dealing with shoulder, groin and Achilles injuries as well as inconsistencies as he learned the cornerback position in the league. That led to Okudah posting just two interceptions and 124 tackles in three seasons.
Now, though, Okudah will be moving on after a trade to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2023 fifth-round pick. In the aftermath of the move, from a Detroit perspective, all most analysts could talk about was the potential for a domino effect in the draft at cornerback.
As Detroit’s radio voice Dan Miller pointed out after the deal, the trade of Okudah could open the team up to looking at a cornerback in the draft, especially seeing as the team doesn’t have many young players under contract at the position on the roster.
Have to think trade of Okudah strengthens case Lions look at corners in draft. They only have one on a multi year deal. It’s more cost effective to add one vs filling out the room in free agency down the road. Okudah would have entered final year as well.
“Have to think trade of Okudah strengthens case Lions look at corners in draft. They only have one on a multi-year deal. It’s more cost effective to add one vs filling out the room in free agency down the road. Okudah would have entered final year as well,” Miller tweeted.
As for what corner many see on the menu? It’s a familiar answer in Devon Witherspoon of Illinois. Already, Witherspoon has said himself he sees the fit with the Lions given the team has former teammate Kerby Joseph in the mix, and mocks have also reflected it. Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema thinks Witherspoon needs to be readying himself for a move to Detroit.
“Devon Witherspoon better start looking at property in Detroit,” Sikkema tweeted.
Indeed, Witherspoon could be a big fit for the Lions, and as others like Brenden Deeg from The Score tweeted, the ripple effect could be felt further down the board, especially if the Lions don’t elect to go with defensive line help. That could push a player like Jalen Carter further down.
The Lions trading away Okudah opens the door for them to take a cornerback at 6.
The odds of Jalen Carter falling to 10 or trade-up range for the Eagles just got better.
“The Lions trading away Okudah opens the door for them to take a cornerback at 6. The odds of Jalen Carter falling to 10 or trade-up range for the Eagles just got better,” Deeg tweeted.
It’s clear that the team subtracting Okudah from the mix could lead to a shift in philosophy near the top of the draft. In the final weeks before the draft plays out, more mocks could begin to signal a shift back toward Detroit looking to address the cornerback spot, much like it was before free agency.
In recent weeks, many mocks have had the Lions looking at additions along the defensive line, but that idea could begin to change.
Lions in ‘Enviable’ Draft Spot, Especially at Corner
Even if the cornerback spot now becomes the most likely position the Lions will look to grab early on, the fact remains that the team has plenty of picks with which to work, and remains very wide open.
By trading Okudah for a fifth-round pick, the Lions now have 10 picks with which to work in the impending 2023 NFL draft. The Okudah trade will provide them with 159, and give them yet another middle-round selection with which to work on a team with few major holes. That’s a position many, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, see as enviable.
“That should be No. 159 overall. Lions draft picks now: 1-6. 1-18, 2-48, 2-55, 3-81, 5-152, 5-159, 6-183, 6-194. Lions are in an enviable spot. Very few holes on their roster and a plethora of draft capital,” Birkett tweeted.
While many may be making the case for the Lions to add a cornerback early now, they don’t have to do it if they don’t wish to. Not only did the team make major offseason additions in free agency, the draft is incredibly deep at the position.
According to The Athletic’s draft insider Dane Brugler, cornerback along with edge is just two of the spots where the Lions could have a need early in the draft that figures to be extra deep with players.
As Brugler wrote, the edge spot has plenty of different kinds of talent, while cornerback benefitted from some younger players entering the draft early and not returning to college.
“1. Edge Rusher: Also toughest position to stack bc there is so much talent (and different kinds of talents). EDGE will stretch into day 3. 2. Cornerback: Underclassmen really helped. Deep group. 3. Tight End: I have 5 TEs in my top-50 and a few others in the top-100. Loaded!,” Brugler tweeted.
In the pre-draft process, tons of players have emerged at the position. From early names like Witherspoon, Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, Alabama’s Brian Branch, Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr., Maryland’s Deonte Banks, and Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes, the Lions could get a quality player further down the board if they so choose.
The Lions should be thrilled that the cornerback position is looking deep this season. The team could look to add another player to the mix, and whether they do it early or later, could find pretty good value at spot.
Jeff Okudah Had Inconsistent 2022 Season
For Okudah, the trade is intriguing considering it seemed as if the youngster was finding his form during the 2022 season on the field.
Early on last year, Okudah got off to a hot start and managed to lock down some of the top wideouts in the game as the season got going. He even posted a 15 tackle game against Dallas, showing his overall abilities in a big way.
In terms of impact plays, Okudah turned one in as well when he collected an interception for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears on November 13, 2022. That play ended up helping Detroit pull out a 31-30 comeback win.
Okudah would finish with 73 tackles, one interception, one touchdown, seven passes defended and one forced fumble in 15 games played with 15 starts. Though he was benched at the end of the year, these were far and away the best numbers that Okudah has put up to this point.
Okudah’s departure could leave the Lions with another hole in the secondary, even in spite of signing Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. They may not wait long to address it in the end.