2020 NFL Draft: What makes Jeffrey Okudah CB1
By Seth Steere
Athletic Traits
When you see a cornerback with near-perfect technique it’s generally because they are making up for a lack of athleticism, but it doesn’t appear to be the case for Okudah. He is quite the athlete and from what he’s shown on his tape, he should run the 40-yard dash in low-to-mid 4.4’s, possibly reaching the high 4.3’s with proper training.
Not only does he have the long speed to keep up with some of the faster receivers he’s lined up against, but his burst — otherwise known as click-n-close — is uncanny; he can “0-to-100 real quick” as Drake famously said in his song “0-100/ The Catch Up“.
https://twitter.com/SethSteere/status/1207142743547400193
As you can see in the video above (despite not making the play) Okudah is able to go from a near neutral position to his top-speed in an instant. Being able to eliminate space between yourself and the man you’re guarding is extremely important at the cornerback position and Jeffrey Okudah can absolutely do so.
Another instance you can see his athletic traits on display is how quickly he can move his feet. As a kid whenever Okudah had to do up-downs — when you chop your feet and on the coaches whistle hit the ground and spurt up as quickly as you can — I’d put money on Okudah digging holes in the ground with his feet because the kid can move ’em! He keeps his steps short and within his frame, making it easy to break on routes without wasting any time.