With the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected cornerback Jeff Okudah.
With the Lions not receiving any trade offers for pick No. 3, this pick was the best — and safest — pick that general manager Bob Quinn could have done.
After trading away Darius Slay and letting Rashaan Melvin walk in free agency, the Lions had a huge hole at cornerback. While fans have faith in 2019 fifth-round pick Amani Oruwariye, Detroit knew they needed to spend that third overall pick on a top-tier cornerback.
Okudah has held the title of best cornerback in the 2020 draft for months and is one of the most athletic defensive backs in this draft class. To me, this pick was a no-brainer.
What he lacks in long speed, he makes up for in burst/explosion and agility. While he didn’t measure in agility drills at the Combine, his footwork on the field shows he has what it takes to be an elite cornerback in the league. He will jump right into the starting lineup and fill the role Darius Slay held for the last seven seasons, shadowing top receivers and being a key piece of the defense.
The Lions saw their guy and grabbed him. With his job on the line, Quinn secured a young player who will be an instant contributor on this struggling defense. The Lions played it safe and still got their guy. It can’t get much better than that.
