Lions Flagship Radio Ponders If Jeff Okudah Is Next Darko Milicic
It is absolutely never good for any professional sports figure to be compared to former Detroit Pistons big man Darko Milicic.
Recall, the Pistons selected Milicic with the No. 2 overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft, ahead of eventual superstars like Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.
Unfortunately for fans of the Pistons, Milicic became synonymous with the term "bust", as his career never took off the ground.
In 96 games in Detroit, he only scored 152 points and averaged 1.6 points and 5.8 minutes per game.
For the Lions, cornerback Jeff Okudah has had a tumultuous start to his NFL career.
Since being drafted No. 3 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, the ex-Buckeyes defensive back has struggled mightily to get his career off the ground.
He battled injuries his rookie season, and the start to his second season has not gone better.
The 22-year-old has struggled so much that the Lions flagship radio station debated whether or not Okudah is the new Darko in town.
Afternoon sports talk radio host Mike Valenti pondered on Tuesday if Okudah is going to be viewed as the next major draft flameout, due to his struggles his rookie season and now, being lost for the 2021 season due to suffering an Achilles' injury.
Okudah is likely destined to never live up to where he was drafted, which isn't his fault.
Unfortunately, drafting defensive backs that high in the draft isn't a recipe for success for most NFL organizations.
Time will tell how Okudah responds after surgery and an intensive rehabilitation program, but for the time being, he's part of a company that most athletes do not want to be a part of early on in their careers.
