When the Detroit Lions took cornerback Jeff Okudah with the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the hope was that he would sure up a spot in the secondary for years to come.
However, things didn't come close to panning out. On top of ineffective play on the field, Okudah battled injuries, which led to him appearing in just 10 games over his first two seasons.
Okudah managed to stay healthy in 2022, but his play once again wasn't up to snuff, which led to him losing his starting job near the end of the season. He was then traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2023, and is now with the Houston Texans.
Knowing all that, it comes as no surprise that Pro Football Network's Nick Faria named Okudah as the Lions' worst draft pick of the last five years, which is absolutely the right choice.
Jeff Okudah’s miss for Detroit should have sunk the Lions for a while. Instead, the Lions have bounced back with a couple of elite drafts that have set them nicely in the NFC. Still, they had to address the corner position in the offseason this year due to Okudah’s miss being that big.
Okudah appeared in 13 games (nine starts) for the Falcons during his first season in Atlanta and surrendered a completion rate of 65.5% and a passer rating of 94.6 in coverage.
Meanwhile, the Lions' secondary struggled mightily in 2023, but it's not like Okudah would have made a dent in that problem. Detroit is now hoping the plethora of moves it made in the secondary this offseason will improve things.
