When you take a player third overall, you expect them to be able to come in and contribute immediately.
The Detroit Lions drafted Jeffrey Okudah with that exact intention.
After trading away Darius Slay this past offseason, the Lions have found their new starting cornerback in Okudah. Regarded as the top corner in this draft, Detroit now has an athletic 21-year-old taking the reigns in the secondary.
Okudah will sit firmly at the top of the cornerback depth chart alongside newly-signed Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman. Waiting in the wings on the outside will be Amani Oruwariye and Darryl Roberts. While Okudah and Trufant seem to be penciled in as outside starters, expect the other two to put up some real competition.
With the pick, Detroit’s secondary looks strong. Expect a unit of Okudah and Trufant as outside cornerbacks, Justin Coleman in the slot, and Tracy Walker and Duron Harmon at safety.
Oriwariye and Roberts likely top the reserves list, while Jamal Agnew, Mike Ford, Tony McRae, Dee Virgin, and Michael Jackson will be battling for reserve roles on defense and starting roles on offense.
The cornerback position was the biggest hole in their depth chart, and the Detroit Lions filled it.
