When the Detroit Lions selected CB Jeff Okudah with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the hope was that he would come in and quickly emerge as a top-tier cornerback in the NFL.
Unfortunately, Okudah has had some bad luck when it comes to injuries and he has only played in 10 games (7 starts) in his first two seasons with the Lions.
As we look forward to the 2022 regular season, Okudah is certainly going to be a player to keep a close eye on as he returns from an Achilles injury that kept him out for the final 16 games of the 2021 season.
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Detroit Lions player included on ‘make-or-break’ list for 2022
There is no question about it that Jeff Okudah’s NFL career has not gone how we had hoped, but is it fair to call his upcoming season a ‘make-or-break’ campaign?
Well, that is what Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports is saying as he has included Okudah on his “Nine NFL players entering a make-or-break 2022 season” list.
Here is what Trapasso has to say about Okudah.
From CBS Sports:
Okudah’s NFL career to date has been nightmarish, a brutal, extraordinarily underwhelming rookie season followed by a torn Achilles in the season-opener in 2021. This is a 6-foot-1, 205-pounder with 4.48 speed and a 41-inch vertical who stuck like glue to wideouts during his career at Ohio State.
The natural talent is bursting at the seams of Okudah’s Lions uniform. But the refinement at the line wasn’t there as a rookie, and neither was his awareness mirroring down the field and finding the football. It’s harsh, but it’s a reality — in the NFL, if by Year 3 you’re not producing, you’re pressing your luck with your future on your original team. Remember too, Detroit GM Brad Holmes didn’t draft Okudah, and all NFL GMs — justifiably — want their guys more than anything else. If Okudah doesn’t perform like a former No. 3 overall pick, or, heck, even like an overachieving mid-rounder, Okudah will drift to Bust Island and could find himself on the trade block next offseason.
As much as I love Jeff Okudah as a person, I have to agree with Trapasso on this evaluation. Yes, Okudah was the No. 3 overall pick and yes, he has dealt with injuries, but if he does not turn things around and have a productive 2022 season, I would not be surprised at all to see him on the trade block in 2023.
Nation, would you label this a ‘make-or-break’ season for Jeff Okudah?
