Falcons' Jeff Okudah Trade: Jessie Bates III to 'Lead' Young Secondary
When the Atlanta Falcons signed safety Jessie Bates III to a four-year $64 million deal this offseason, a big reason behind it was to gain "real, authentic leadership," according to coach Arthur Smith.
There is no denying Bates' durability, as he's missed just one game over his five-year career ... and the 2018 second-round pick just turned 26 this past February.
To put it in perspective, Falcons safety Richie Grant, a second-round pick in 2021, is a mere 10 months younger than Bates.
And with the Falcons trading for former Detroit Lions cornerback and 2020 No. 3 pick Jeff Okudah, Atlanta adds on to the youth in its secondary.
The 24-year-old Okudah will join the aforementioned Bates (26) and Grant (25), along with Jaylinn Hawkins (25), A.J Terrell (24), Mike Hughes (26) and Dee Alford (25) to this defense that gave up the eighth-most passing yards per game last season.
And despite being roughly the same age as the players within his position, Bates' experience with the Cincinnati Bengals will provide a different look for this unit compared to last season.
"I think that my role is going to be a leader," Bates said. "Someone that has experience, postseason, has experienced the bad, the good - I've had a little bit of at all. Just five years into it at 26 years old, I have a lot of wisdom and stuff to talk about to the guys in the locker room."
Okudah's 2022 campaign was by far the most productive of his three-year tenure, posting 73 tackles, seven pass deflections and one interception.
And now, he'll look to continue that trend while helping elevate Atlanta's young secondary ... all under the watchful eye of Bates.
Follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.
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