2020 NFL Draft: 5 players Lions could take in Round 1
1. Jeff Okudah
Darius Slay is 29 years old and his play dropped off precipitously in 2019. That puts the Lions in the market for a shutdown cornerback. Their only chance to obtain that sort of player is to draft this class’ top defensive back with the No. 3 overall pick.
That player is Jeff Okudah. He was an absolute star for Ohio State last season. He may never blossom into an All-Pro cornerback, but the chances of him making several Pro Bowls are pretty high.
Okudah’s collegiate tape shows him to be a player with above average size, speed and athleticism. Add that to his quality technique and he makes covering top-notch wide receivers look downright easy at times. He’ll inevitably have some inconsistent moments during his rookie season, but he profiles comfortably as a plug and play starter in his first season as a professional.
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Okudah to the Lions at No. 3 looks like one of the safest bets in the first round at the moment. Detroit could always go in a different direction as the event approaches, but they’d be well served to keep things simple. Drafting Slay’s successor would be a solid choice for a franchise that needs to upgrade their pass defense. Okudah may not change the long-term trajectory of the Lions, but he’d be an excellent pick early in Round 1.