Cory Undlin: Jeff Okudah Is 'Nonstop' and Committed to Football
This past April, the Lions put together arguably one of their strongest drafts since the Bob Quinn era began in 2016.
And a large reason why was because of Quinn & Co. selecting former Ohio State standout cornerback Jeff Okudah with the No. 3 overall pick.
He possesses the necessary makeup and skill set to be an impact performer in the Lions' secondary during his rookie campaign.
New Detroit defensive coordinator Cory Undlin said as much during a Zoom video conference with members of the local media Wednesday.
"I've been nothing but impressed with him since day one," Undlin said. "You know, with this Zoom thing, I've spent a lot of time with Jeff. I think the people in Detroit and Lions fans are going to really, really like him not only as a player but as a person. Jeff is driven, like few men I've been around in this profession."
Undlin added that Okudah is so driven that it's hard to get his mind off of football.
"The guy is nonstop, to the point where it's like, 'Jeff, can we talk about something ... can we not talk about football for like five minutes? Can we talk about something else? Do you do anything else?' That's how he's wired," Undlin commented.
The organization is hoping that burning passion of Okudah's for the game of football translates to success on the field. And if it does, he has the chance to be an All-Pro corner that plays in the league for a very long time.
Undlin Is Comfortable with Where Defense Stands
Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Undlin won't be able to see Okudah and members of the Lions' defense in person until later this summer during training camp.
Undlin, however, has gotten used to the virtual nature of the offseason, including talking to the defensive players via Zoom. And he feels a sense of comfort with where the defense stands.
"I'm very comfortable with where everybody's at," Undlin said. "As far as do you think I'm ahead or are we behind from a normal situation, I would say it's as close to normal as we could be."
He further commented, "I guess I won't be able to judge that until we get on the field and find out where the players are at, as far as their mental and their recall once we start running around. But, as far as the information going in, no different. I think we're exactly the same."
It's a good sign for a defense that was toward the bottom-half of the league in nearly every statistical category a season ago and needs to bounce back in a major way in 2020.
