Lions Fans Still Torn About Potential of Jeff Okudah to Succeed in NFL

Quarterback Justin Herbert could have been a member of the Detroit Lions.

It is probably not the wisest decision to look back on ownership's mandate to former general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia to win now.

As a result, cornerback Jeff Okudah was the choice at No. 3, instead of a quarterback who is now being viewed as among the best young talents in the entire National Football League.

Herbert was selected by the Chargers three spots later with the sixth overall pick.

The 23-year-old defensive back in Okudah is now rehabbing an Achilles injury, while Herbert is certainly proving the Chargers' front office was correct to take a risk in drafting him.

Among the many needs of the Lions remains in the secondary, where there is more talent but plenty of inexperience at the cornerback position.

Both Okudah and Jerry Jacobs will have a long road ahead of them as they rehab major injuries.

Despite the efforts of bloggers and fans to maintain hope, the reality is that expecting cornerbacks to come back and perform at an elite level is quite the ask.

Some have even suggested that Okudah be jettisoned to safety.

Others have given up hope completely and have written him off as another wasted Lions draft pick.

While Okudah certainly will work to return to the field as soon as possible, he is already far behind the eight ball early in his career.

Wideouts are quicker, and the league has made it all but impossible to play cornerback at a high level, considering all of the rules that have been put in place that favor wideouts.

On Tuesday, fans took to social media to continue their debate regarding Okudah's potential to succeed at the NFL level.

Here is a sample of Lions fans debating online.

I get why people are frustrated with Jeff Okudah. But what I don't really understand are the people who continue to mock him, call him a bust, and ask for him to get out of town.

Why wouldn't you root for the dude to recover and kick ass?
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) February 22, 2022

Eh. Slay also had better playing speed than Okudah along with actual sprint speed.
One of Okudahs issues was he didnt have that step to be a top man coverage guy. He was sold as one but I never saw it. Hes coming back from an injury that takes a step away usually
— Potato Brad (@PotatoBrab) February 22, 2022

Ok Sigmund. Thank you for that explanation.
How about this, sometimes a bust is just a bust. And that's all he'll ever be.
— Dana Kramer (@danalancekramer) February 23, 2022

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