The 2020 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Jeffrey Okudah 2020 NFL Draft profile.
Position: Cornerback
Class: Junior
Size: 6-foot-1, 200 pounds
2019 stats: 34 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, nine passes defended, three interceptions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhsEfNB6qOo
While Chase Young got a lot of the press from Ohio State, Okudah was a great player in his own right. The corner played phenomenally over his last two seasons in Colombus and he decided to take his talents to the NFL after his junior season.
As a freshman, Okudah played sparingly, but appeared nine games and had one pass defended. He was behind many talented players on the depth chart, including Denzel Ward. Okudah had a breakout season as a sophomore, as he displayed his great man coverage and finished the season with eight passes defended. In 2019, his play helped lead the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff. He finished the season with nine passes defended and three interceptions.
A lot of teams will be wanting Okudah on their roster, as he developed really good coverage skills at Ohio State. He is one of the best players in the draft class and should be the first corner off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Jeffrey Okudah
The first strength that will pop up on tape is Okudah’s ability in man to man coverage. A lot of times quarterbacks wouldn’t even throw his way because he was covering his man so well. He has all of the tools to stick with is man for several seconds every play.
Okudah is one of the best athletes in the class. He has good speed and quickness, which is what helps him to be a great cover corner. In the NFL, he will match up athletically with most of the wide receivers he will be covering.
He has solid instincts, which show up in both man and zone coverage. Okudah understands his assignment and how wide receivers will be attacking his defense. He then makes the right play according to that information. In zone coverage, he reads the quarterback’s eyes. The instincts help him have solid ball skills too.
Okudah doesn’t have the best technique. While his footwork is usually pretty good, he can lose leverage. He also could press corners at the line of scrimmage better. He is already a good corner, but if he works on his technique he can develop into a great one at the next level.
While he is willing to tackle, it doesn’t always work out for him. He misses tackles and sometimes tries to make the least amount of contact while trying to bring down the ball carrier. The willingness to tackle will impress NFL teams, but converting on those opportunities will make his NFL team love him.
He has experience in both zone and man coverage at Ohio State, but his man to man coverage abilities far exceed his ability in zone. If he spaces himself better and uses his length more, Okudah could really improve in zone coverage.
Projected Draft Range: Top 10 pick
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