3 Improvements Jeff Okudah Must Make

Lions' rookie phenom, cornerback Jeff Okudah, sat out Week 1 against Chicago with a reported hamstring injury. However, he made his NFL debut the following week against Green Bay.

It was tough sledding for Okudah --to put it nicely -- as Aaron Rodgers and Packers receivers gave the kid a cold NFL welcome in what amounted to a display of pitch and catch.

Okudah looked overwhelmed and frankly, lost at times.

At the same time, here and there, Okudah has shown the kind of pure speed and physicality the Lions fell in love with when he was coming out of college.

For example, against Arizona in Week 3, he undercut a crossing pattern, and picked off his first pro pass.

Additionally, there were several plays when Okudah knifed in and looked like a human torpedo while blowing up a receiver or a ball carrier and making the tackle.

He is not afraid to stick his nose in there. But, for the most part, he has looked like a fish out of water.

Ironically, Okudah has pretty much looked as over-matched and overwhelmed as the team he plays for through the first three games of this season.

At this point, Okudah clearly appears to be relying solely on his God-given ability.

He has been getting spun around, as receivers have pretty much had their way with him. And Okudah has looked completely unprepared.

After what was said to be a rough training camp, if he wants to stay on the field, these are the three areas Okudah must improve in and immediately.

Study the Lions' playbook and study the opponent

Outside of man coverage, he looked like he did not know what to do at times in zone coverage. Granted Packers receiver Davante Adams and the Cardinals' dynamic duo of DeAndre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald are amongst the best in the biz and they all were pretty much toying with the Lions' prized rookie.

All of them blew right through Okudah's attempts to aggressively play bump-and-run with them, and they hard sold him quick inside or outside moves on releases, with ridiculous ease.

From there, those receivers almost effortlessly gained the necessary route leverage required to make the grab. They dictated just about everything to the first-year pro.

Okudah did his best to regroup, but he looked confused at times. He has looked very reactive, and occasionally has looked like he's been guessing and has no idea what's been coming next -- which left quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers looking like a couple of dads playing catch with their sons in the backyard, as the ribs were grilling.

Okudah needs to spend considerable time studying film of the opponent. He needs to study the opponent's quarterback and the receivers and gain a real understanding of what to expect on gameday.

He may even want to consider investing in himself by hiring a former All-Pro corner who can mentor him on some of the position's finer points, because right now, he looks raw and he looks like a guitar that needs to be fine-tuned.

Lay off the bump-and-run and show a lot more patience

I understand the defense has him playing a lot of man coverage. But, his aggressive attempts to jam and re-route receivers is doing nothing more than re-routing himself instead -- which is putting him in a trail position.

While I deeply appreciate his aggressive nature and desire to bang like a hockey player when receivers are releasing, it is a tactic that is not proving to be remotely effective. Instead, Okudah is getting grossly out of position, and he is not showing the necessary recovery speed to make up the difference.

He is finding that receivers are far more physical in the big leagues, which is leaving his bump-and-run attempts looking more foolish than intimidating.

There is no question Okudah has the raw athletic ability and playing speed to carry routes and make it interesting without the wasted bump-and-run attempts.

Okudah must remain patient, because the opponents he is matched up against are clearly using his aggressive nature against him, just like they do in the martial art of jiu-jitsu -- which is the art of using an opponent's energy against oneself.

He must also do a much better job of reading quarterbacks. Right now, he looks like a puppy chasing his owner out on the field.

Relax and have fun out there

Play loose. He needs to take a deep breath. He needs to shake it off. He is coming off getting his butt kicked by some of the best.

Okay, that is over now. It is time to smile about it, look himself in the mirror and make the necessary adjustments.

Confidence is a corner's most valuable tool. A corner without confidence is like an airplane without wings. It has happened to all the greats, even Deion Sanders looked like burnt toast at times.

It is very much the nature of the position, and all the greats eventually bounce back.

Okudah looked like he was wound up tighter than a watch in his first two outings, and he looked like he was ready to throw gloves at the drop of a hat. One word: Relax.

I know I went on record and gave Okudah a blue-chip grade before the start of the season, and I am not backing off of that.

Okudah is a big-time corner, with big-time ability.

When I saw him undercut that Kyler Murray throw, I said to myself with a slight grin, "There he is."

Okudah is special. He just has to make the adjustments that are within his control, humble himself and show a lot more patience than he has been showing.

He has crazy closing speed, and he just needs to keep things more in front of him for the time being, instead of letting things get completely out of control behind him.

He needs to feel out the game at the pro level, which, unfortunately, takes time and there are no short cuts or substitutes for that.

Experience is exactly what Okudah is missing at this point at the pro level.

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