Name: Jeff Okudah
Position: Cornerback
School: Ohio State
Ht/Wt: 6-1/205
40-yard dash: 4.48
Bench: 11
Vertical: 41.0
Broad: 135.0
3-cone: Did not run
20-yard shuttle: Did not run
View photos of NFL prospect Jeff Okudah.
Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah, bottom, tackles Florida Atlantic tight end Harrison Bryant during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah plays against Florida Atlantic in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson (2) tries to avoid Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah (1) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah plays against Michigan in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah plays against Michigan in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2019, file photo, Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah plays against Florida Atlantic in an NCAA college football game, in Columbus, Ohio. Okudah was selected to The Associated Press All-Big Conference team, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah plays against Michigan in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Wisconsin running back Garrett Groshek (37) is tackled by Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah (1) during the second half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah plays against Penn State during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah plays against Florida Atlantic in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
How he fits: The Lions traded top cornerback Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles and signed veteran Desmond Trufant. While that's not a one-for-one in terms of skill set or Pro-Bowl appearances, Trufant's been a good player in this league for a long time and projects to be a starter in Detroit.
Detroit returns Justin Coleman in the slot, but will still be looking for competition, depth and talent at the other outside position. Amani Oruwariye played pretty well down the stretch last season as a rookie, but is he ready to step into a starting role in year two? Maybe, but the Lions have to be prepared if not.
Okudah is by far the top cornerback available in this draft and fits everything the Lions would be looking for to fill that role opposite Trufant. He's big, physical, smart and plays with good size, speed and change of direction to make him a top talent. Drafting Okudah would instantly promote some really good competition at cornerback and give the Lions options and versatility at the position.
Key observations: Okudah allowed a career passer rating of 55.7 over his three seasons at Ohio State and a completion percentage of 43.2 when opposing passers threw his way. He has the size to guard big receivers and the speed to run with deep threats.
What they had to say about him: "Okudah has ideal size, length, twitch and competitiveness for the position. He is very comfortable and effective in both press and off coverage. He is patient in press and very fluid/smooth when he opens up. He does a nice job of staying on top versus vertical routes and he can locate the football down the field. He has the agility to mirror underneath. In off coverage, he explodes out of his plant and he is a dependable open-field tackler. This is a very clean player with a very high floor and ceiling." – Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
How he stacks up: Okudah comes in at No. 5 overall on Jeremiah's list of the Top 50 players in this draft class, and he's the top cornerback on that list. He's No. 4 on Dane Brugler's list of the Top 50 from The Athletic.
Scouts Inc. lists Okudah as their fourth highest graded prospect with a 94 out of 100, which puts him in the "rare prospect" category.
What he had to say: "I know (Lions head coach Matt) Patricia is a heavy man-to-man guy," Okudah said at the Combine, when asked about Detroit. "Coming from the Patriots, they run a lot of man-to-man. They're allowing man-to-man matches to let the defensive line get home. So I've been studying a lot of those top groups (high in the draft). I think I'm really cover-versatile. So I'm trying to figure out, where's the best fit will be."
