The talent in 2020 NFL Draft prospect Jeffrey Okudah is obvious and flaws are hard to come by. Are we witnessing the best cornerback prospect of the decade?
Many should’ve seen the rise of Jeffrey Okudah coming as he was a highly regarded 5-star recruit coming out of high school. Playing a majority of his snaps at safety in high school, he was still tabbed as the consensus top cornerback prospect in his class according to 247 sports. Despite playing in a very talented secondary his freshman year he earned himself some reps and carved himself a role to give some a glimpse into the budding star.
As a true sophomore, Okudah got his first taste of being a starter and didn’t disappoint. Okudah played well enough to solidify himself as a first-round prospect but hadn’t yet shown people the special prospect he was going to be. His lack of reps showed up a little bit as he struggled with eyes at times and failed to catch an interception, leading many to question his ball skills.
If you watched the 2019 Rose Bowl, Jeffrey Okudah had his coming out party in what would become his staple game as a prospect up to that point. The game shed light on his elite athletic abilities and stickiness in coverage while watching him fly all over the field. Questions still remained that held him off from jumping to the next tier of a special group of draft eligible cornerbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah is impressive. One of my favorite reps of his here. Patience, exits phase, and attacks the ball out of the air. pic.twitter.com/kt4V3pfCtv
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) August 7, 2019
Jeffrey Okudah has risen to the top of the cornerback rankings in what should be no surprise after he caught three interceptions in a two-week span to put to rest concerns about his ball skills. His level of play to match his traits puts him firmly in the conversation as one of the best cornerback prospects of the last decade.
A kid known for his high character and excellent work ethic to match his on-field abilities; Okudah checks all of the boxes you want to see in any prospect. The growth of Jeffrey Okudah has us bearing witness to a prospect for the decades.