Jeff Okudah Has Best Game of Rookie Season
Given that Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah was the No. 3 overall selection in this year’s NFL Draft, expectations were and remain extremely high.
In an atypical offseason, Okudah started behind the eight-ball, and undoubtedly struggled in the early goings.
Not to say that Okudah has completely turned his play around, but there have been signs of improvement.
In Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts, Okudah had one of the better performances of his young career.
According to Pro Football Focus, the rookie corner only allowed a total of 26 yards against him while in coverage -- his best output to date.
More from PFF regarding Okudah’s play last week:
“Okudah’s run of assignments so far in his rookie season has been brutal, so it’s not a shock to see his grade as low as it is, but the signs are certainly there that he can be a good player for the Lions down the line. That may start in the second half of the season.”
Despite Okudah’s early struggles, his passer rating against (89.4) on the year is still the second-best of the 18 qualified rookie cornerbacks in the NFL -- only behind Kansas City Chiefs corner L'Jarius Sneed and his three-game sample size.
© Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
On Monday, Lions head coach Matt Patricia spoke on Okudah’s progression as a player.
“Jeff, I think he’s improved every week. And really part of it has been the technique and the fundamentals, things like that. But, really now we’re starting to get into a little bit more awareness, a little bit more gameplan-type plays, things that repeat throughout the course of the season, kind of get his vision to open up a little bit more and see a bigger part of the field," Patricia said. “Sometimes, that’s hard when you’re a corner, because you really see the game, I would call it, outside in. Those are things when offenses give you different formations, you have to absorb a little bit more, and I think that’s the part that he’s done a good job of in-game, kind of picking some of that up. I think that’s some of the improvement we’ve seen from him."
It would appear Patricia isn’t just throwing out unfounded compliments, either.
After Okudah’s first two games in the league (Week 3), he was PFF’s second-lowest-graded rookie cornerback, out of corners that had seen at least 20 percent of their team's defensive snaps.
In the last five weeks, Okudah has landed in the top three for overall grades using those same parameters.
Make no mistake, Okudah still has a long way to go in order to live up to his draft status.
At the very least, though, there are signs of him turning it around sooner than later, if his positive on-field play continues.
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