The Detroit Lions top 5 prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft

Detroit Lions draft prospect #2: Jeffrey Okudah – CB

One side of the field is locked down on defense by Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay. However, no one’s been able to replicate the same thing on the other side. Teez Tabor out of Florida was a flop. Last year’s free agent signing Justin Coleman is more of a slot CB more than anything.

Can Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah be the man opposite of Slay? He definitely has the intangibles and football IQ to fill that role.

The junior Buckeye had himself a season this year, and really put himself on the map. After not recording a single interception in his two years before, he was able to snag three in 2019, making him tied for 2nd in the Big Ten.

Okudah’s skill set gives him huge potential to be a lockdown corner in the NFL. His feet are lightning fast. His hips move fluidly as well, making it easier to stay with receivers who change direction quickly.

The 6-foot-1 corner isn’t afraid of contact either. He made himself more of a physical presence in 2019, not being afraid to leverage receivers early and disrupt routes.

Due to his recovery speed, Okudah was able to be far more aggressive than most other corners. This allowed him to make a pre-snap read of what the receiver may be doing. He knew if he guessed wrong, more than likely he would be able to catch up.

The only problems I’ve seen with Okudah is his consistency of technique. He knows he’s talented, and you can see this on the field with how sloppy his technique is. His eyes can wander into the backfield as well. These things could cause trouble for him in the NFL.

I personally love Okudah, and feel like he would be a great asset to a struggling secondary.