Ranking the Detroit Lions' last 10 first-round picks
![](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2400,h_1350,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/53/01htfyzjb60cwtt6x42c.jpg)
10. CB Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State: No. 3 overall, 2020
The "Quinntricia" regime drove Darius Slay out of town, and then surely envisioned Okudah being Slay's successor. But he was limited by a couple injuries as a rookie, and of course had to overcome Patricia when he did play.
Okudah stood to benefit as much as any Lions' player from the changes before his second season. But it was not to be, as he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 1 of the 2021 season and missed the rest of the campaign.
Okudah started off the 2022 season quite well, flashing as a shut down corner and being a capable tackler in run support. But a concussion in Week 11, which sidelined him on a short week ahead of the Thanksgiving Day game, served as a turning point. An illness limited him in December, and he was inactive for the season finale with what seemed like a phantom injury.
Okudah was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2023 fifth-round pick in April of 2023. That brought an underwhelming end to his very disappointing tenure in Detroit, partially due to circumstances that were out of his control.
9. LB Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida: No. 21 overall, 2017
An off-the-ball linebacker with a first-round pick? Even in 2017 that was interesting in terms of lack of regard for perceived positional value, which isn't to say the Lions didn't have a need there.
And frankly, Davis justified the pick early. As a rookie, he was second on the Lions with 96 total tackles while adding two sacks. In his second season, he had a team-leading 100 total tackles with six sacks (third on the team) and a team-high 10 tackles for loss.
Then Davis missed five games in 2019, and he fell into a part-time role in 2020. He signed with the New York Jets in 2021, then came back to the Lions in 2022 before the New York Giants signed him off their practice squad. He missed all of last season with the Giants after landing on IR.
In the past, even just two years of being quite good would have landed Davis a good spot on a list like this for the Lions. But this is a new era, so he falls well down the board very easily.