Jeff Okudah Welcomes Any Challenge, Even If It's Aaron Rodgers
Rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah welcomes the challenge of playing the cornerback position.
The Detroit Lions' No. 3 overall pick from this year's draft could very well see his first NFL action this Sunday at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers.
Okudah was listed as a full participant in Thursday's practice, indicating his NFL debut is all but certain this weekend.
First up, future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
"I think that I'm really excited for Sunday's matchup. As a cornerback, I would hope that you'd welcome any challenge, no matter how big it is, how small it is, and you approach it the same," Okudah said Thursday in a video conference with Detroit media. "So, on Sunday, I'm really excited -- (to) go to my first NFL game. That will be a pretty cool experience. Never really been to (an) NFL game. So, just to get that crossed off my list, I think it'd be pretty cool."
Rookie training camp
It was well-documented the early struggles Okudah faced during his first ever training camp.
Wide receivers routinely had the ex-Buckeyes defensive back experiencing footing issues, and the communication with his teammates was slow to develop, causing battles to be lost by the secondary.
Then, a hamstring injury forced Okudah to take a week off.
That week off was beneficial, according to Detroit's first-round pick.
"That second week, I hurt my hamstring a little bit. So, I didn't get a chance to get those reps in there. But, then, when I came back, I think that taking that week off was good for me because I was able to get a lot of mental reps and study the playbook a lot and kind of reflect on a lot of things. That week was actually beneficial for me," Okudah said. "And since I've been back, I was feeling pretty good. Everything (has) been a lot slower, and confidence has been going up every day, as I try to get one percent better every time I go on the field."
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Davante Adams await
Okudah will be likely eased into playing on Sunday, since Detroit is squaring off with a future Hall of Fame quarterback and an elite wide receiver.
Amani Oruwariye has been seeing the bulk of the playing time at cornerback since he had a highly productive and successful training camp.
For Okudah, he remains steadfast in his preparation, which includes consulting with many veterans that play the position.
"I think the first first step is talking to other cornerbacks," he said. "I'll reach out to guys like Aqib Talib and Stephon Gilmore -- kind of get their thoughts on the receiver. And then, I'll talk to coach (Boston College head coach) Jeff Hafley. Then, after that, kind of diving into the film -- going to first, second down, third down, red-zone stuff, personnel groupings."
Okudah's process has been well-documented, and is indicative of a player willing to learn daily to hone his craft.
"I'm really diligent in the process, and make sure I spend a lot of time watching films, so I can cross the T's and dot all the I's," Okudah added.
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