Detroit Lions season in review: Rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah

First-rounder Jeff Okudah had a rough first season with the Detroit Lions

Back in the 2019 season, the Detroit Lions had one of the worst pass defenses in the league despite having a top tier cornerback in Darius Slay. It was an obvious hole that needed to be addressed whether it was through free agency or draft.

When the Lions traded Slay days before the draft, it was quite obvious that they were going to take cornerback Jeff Okudah out of Ohio State with their first-round selection. The Lions could have kept Slay and have a much-improved secondary of him and Okudah but the front office ultimately deemed it was best to start fresh.

As draft day arrived, plenty had Okudah to the Lions locked in but it was a matter of fact whether that was going to occur at the third overall selection as there was lots of chatter about the team trading down in the draft. The Lions ended up staying put and Okudah was drafted third overall and got a four-year deal for over $33 million.

As with any player who gets selected in the first round, expectations are high and they were so for Okudah who was expected to make an immediate impact on the Lions secondary. He was expected to provide a boost and make it better than it has been in years. He didn’t necessarily live up to his third overall draft selection in his rookie year.

He missed the Lions Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears with a hamstring injury and didn’t make his debut until Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. He got his first career interception in Week 3 covering Arizona Cardinals’ star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

In Week 11, he suffered a groin injury that required season-ending surgery. In the 2020 season, he appeared in nine games starting six of them while recording 47 tackles (41 solo) with an interception and two passes defended.

In five of the nine games he played in, Okudah appeared in over 90% of defensive snaps, and in all contests, he allowed the player he was covering to catch the ball 77.4% of the time on 53 targets.

Okudah didn’t have a great rookie season as he failed to play like a top draft pick. He was given high expectations and top cornerback duties by covering the likes of Hopkins, star wide receiver Davante Adams of the Packers, and other top wideouts.

While Jeff Okudah’s struggles were evident, it’s too early to panic as many say that being a defensive back and transitioning from college to the NFL is the hardest position to adjust to. Okudah will remain an important part of the Detroit Lions’ future and it’s way too early to label him as a bust after one year in the NFL.