Pros and Cons of Picking Up Jeff Okudah's Fifth-Year Option

Detroit general manager Brad Holmes has plenty of important decisions to make this coming offseason. And, one of them is deciding whether to pick up the fifth-year option of cornerback Jeff Okudah's rookie contract.

Okudah, the 2020 No. 3 overall pick, has a cap hit of $10.7 million for next season, which is set to increase to $11.3M in 2024 if the fifth-year option is picked up. Holmes must make that decision on the former Ohio State defensive back by May 2.

"I know fifth-year option, all that stuff ... is coming up (for Okudah). We'll address that at the appropriate time," Holmes told reporters earlier this week. "But, I'm proud of what Jeff did, and I know he'll hold himself accountable for his play, of the good things and the things he needs to work on."

Okudah had an up-and-down campaign in his third year as a pro. He went from limiting Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson to just three receptions for 14 yards in Week 3, to being benched in the second half against the Panthers in Week 16 due to an inability to make a tackle in the open field against Carolina's running back duo of D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard.

As a whole in 2022, though, Okudah's ability to wrap up opposing ball-carriers was better than his proficiency with covering teams' top receivers.

In fact, he allowed a 97.0 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks, and recorded just one interception, with seven passes defensed, in 15 games. He missed arguably the Lions' two biggest games of the season due to injury (Thanksgiving Day against Buffalo with a concussion and the regular season finale in Green Bay with an elbow ailment).

It speaks of the injury issues that Okudah has experienced since entering the league. He has yet to play in a full season, and suited up for just 10 combined games in 2020 and 2021. His 2021 season was basically a wash, as he suffered a season-ending Achilles' injury in Week 1 against San Francisco.

Subsequently, Holmes views this past year for Okudah as being similar to what an NFL player goes through during their rookie season.

"He's kind of really getting extensive action for the first time. And, he showed some good things. But, when I say, 'basically like a rookie season,' he's gonna have (some) lumps," Holmes said. "He showed some good. He had some things that were not so good. But, he's a really young player. I think he's still developing."

Okudah will be only 24 years old come the start of the 2023 campaign. So, after three injury-hampered years in the league, I think it is fair to give him a bit more time to develop.

However, it is also fair to say that he hasn't lived up to the billing of a top-three pick.

And, at this juncture, I don't truly see him developing into a shutdown corner. His pass-coverage skills have been way too inconsistent for that to be the case.

So, if I were Holmes & Co., I'd pass on picking up the fifth-year option in Okudah's rookie deal.