Jeff Okudah has been selected no. 3 overall by the Detroit Lions. Since 1999, Ohio State has sent 10 cornerbacks to the first round of the NFL Draft. Okudah has become the next Buckeye pass defender to join that group. He strengthened his claim during the 2019 season, starting all 14 games and garnering first-team Associated Press All-American, first-team All-Big Ten, and Jim Thorpe Award finalist honors.
Okudah led the Buckeyes with three interceptions and nine pass breakups as a junior, also posting 35 tackles and two forced fumbles. Despite not starting a game in 2018, he tied for the team lead in pass breakups with eight while also recording 34 tackles. Okudah enrolled in Columbus a semester early as a five-star recruit and the top cornerback prospect in the country out of Grand Prairie, Texas. He played in all 14 games in 2017 as a true freshman (19 tackles, one pass breakup) but underwent shoulder surgery after the season. Okudah’s mother, Marie, passed away in 2017 after a long battle with lymphoma
Detroit needed to strengthen their pass defense, and that was amplified after they traded away star corner Darius Slay. Okudah will likely make an immediate impact on defense in Detroit.
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