As training camp has gone on, Jeff Okudah and Will Harris have been splitting reps as they battle for the No. 2 cornerback spot behind Amani Oruwariye. But when the dust settles and the Lions take the field for their Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn vows that the defense will have a defined starter at the LCB spot.
Okudah, of course, is coming off an Achilles injury that he suffered in the Lions’ Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers this past season and according to reports, he has been progressing nicely throughout camp, though there have been some bumps in the road.
As far as Harris goes, he was moved from safety to cornerback toward the end of the 2021 season and he has embraced the change.
“At this point I’m doing whatever I’m asked,” Harris said in June. “From last year, I’ve been able to move around a little bit — be able to play different spots on the field.
“I’m in my playbook. I’m still learning safety, learning cornerback, nickel — all of that.
“Whatever they want me to do, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Harris added that moving from safety to cornerback is not something that has been difficult for him.
“To me, playing DB is playing DB,” he said. “I was able to get a lot of exposure to it at the end of the season last year.
“I was playing strictly corner. I feel comfortable at it. It’s another spot where I think I can continue getting better. I can continue to learn all the intricacies.
“Playing corner, wearing that hat, being out in more space, facing some of those guys on the outside — I love it.
Jeff Okudah vs. Will Harris: Detroit Lions DC Aaron Glenn weighs in
When it comes down to it, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn says that both Jeff Okudah and Will Harris will be involved but that there will be one defined starter.
“I’m not just saying this just to be saying it, but both of those guys have been showing some really good things on the field in practice and in games,” Glenn said Tuesday. “This is an ongoing battle and it will be an ongoing battle. I wish I could sit here and tell you exactly when we could say, ‘OK, here’s the stamp, here’s the guy that’s going to be the starter.’ But I will say this, both of those guys will have a role within our defense and were going to try to do everything we can to make sure that we put those guys in a situation where they’re going to be successful.”
“Once the season goes, we’re going to have a guy that’s going to be that starter,” Glenn said.
Nation, who do you think wins the battle between Jeff Okudah and Will Harris?
