Falcons CB Jeff Okudah Due for Breakout: 'That's the Guy I Want'
The Atlanta Falcons traded away Jeff Okudah from Detroit this offseason, needing a rebuild in the secondary. Alongside newcomers Jessie Bates and Mike Hughes, the new-look Falcons unit is still just 23rd in the NFL.
"The Falcons signed Bates in free agency to provide a stabilizing piece at the safety position, but Okudah and Hughes have disappointed so far in the NFL and remain question marks for the team," PFF writes.
But maybe 2023 is different for Okudah, a young piece who's yet to play a complete NFL season through his first three in Detroit. From surgeries to coaching changes with the Lions, Okudah just needs a fresh start.
And that's exactly what Atlanta and assistant coach Jerry Gray can offer.
"I always talk to him about what he did at Ohio State because whatever he did there he had 31, 32 teams saying that this is the third best player in the NFL Draft. If I can get that guy to think like that? That's the guy I want," Gray said, per atlantafalcons.com.
Gray went on to remark that he'll do whatever it takes to "get that guy back." The guy he's trying to get back is a 2019 All-American as a Buckeye, finishing second in the Big 10 in interceptions and fifth in passes defended.
Arguably the best cornerback in the 2020 draft, Okudah's path to bouncing back in 2023 is shaking off his first three years in the league and going back to his college roots.
"I don't care about Detroit. No offense to Detroit, but I don't coach him there. I coach him here in Atlanta, but I want the guy that I've seen at Ohio State," Gray concluded.
If Okudah finds that Buckeye mentality once again, the Falcons' secondary could be in business.
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