Ohio State has a long and proud history of producing talented defensive backs. Jeffrey Okudah has a chance to continue that tradition heading into the 2020 NFL draft.
Ohio State has been a factory for producing top-tier talent in the secondary. Players like Denzel Ward (Cleveland Browns), Marshon Lattimore (New Orleans Saints), and Malik Hooker (Indianapolis Colts) are just a few examples of quality NFL starters who were groomed as Buckeyes.
In fact, all three were early first-round picks.
The 2019 college football season is setting up to produce the next Ohio State defensive back who can work his way into top-tier prospect status: Jeffrey Okudah.
If you judge players off their production alone, Okudah won’t be for you. He has yet to accumulate more than 10 pass deflections in a single season and, believe it or not, has zero interceptions. But stats never tell the full story.
Okudah was the beneficiary of some kind words from NFL Network draft analyst, Daniel Jeremiah, who tweeted Friday that Okudah would’ve been the best cornerback in the 2019 NFL draft.
Ohio State CB (1) Jeff Okudah is more talented than any CB in last year’s draft class. He has size, twitch, toughness and instincts. He doesn’t have pick production but he can find/play the ball. Ohio State… https://t.co/o4X1QA0UDU
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) July 19, 2019
Okudah’s lack of production will certainly raise concerns at the next level, especially if he doesn’t make a few game-changing or field-flipping plays in 2019. That said, the numbers often lie. Smart quarterbacks don’t target talented cornerbacks all that often, and for a player with as much upside as Okudah, his opportunity to make plays on the ball are limited.
Regardless, his coverage skills stand out on tape.
He’s a sticky corner who stays on his receiver’s hip. He leaves only the smallest of windows, if any at all, for opposing QBs to aim for.
His coverage skills were on display against Washington in 2018.
Glad I'm not the only one.
— Steere (@SethSteere) July 19, 2019
After this play, I was head over heels. https://t.co/qnbrG9Bn6V pic.twitter.com/Tvx2v0UHS9
Washington tried everything they could to neutralize Okudah; nothing worked. Okudah just kept making plays.
From off coverage, Jeffrey Okudah opens his hips + laterally transitions to match the crossing route. He shows knowledge of coverage angles, and uses closing speed/ball skills to finish the play with a deflection. pic.twitter.com/v5ZogeIxto
— Taylor Moser (@Taylor_Moser) July 15, 2019
Jeffrey Okudah could remain under the radar heading in the 2020 NFL Draft if his production doesn’t improve, but once draft season kicks into high gear, he’ll be a big-time riser and challenge to be one of the first cornerbacks selected next April.