The 2020 NFL Draft is approaching and the New York Giants have many options with the fourth overall selection. Many believe Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young will be gone before they are on the clock, but there’s another Buckeye star that many believe the Giants should consider.
Jeff Okudah is considered the best cornerback in the draft if not the best overall player after Young. If the Giants are truly seeking to upgrade their defense, why not consider Okudah at No. 4? Isn’t taking the ‘best available player’ still a solid strategy?
Young, speaking at a at a press event hosted by the Maxwell Football Club at the Tropicana Atlantic City this weekend where he received the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player, feels that Okudah would be a perfect for the Giants and their new head coach, Joe Judge.
“Jeff can be drafted before me, I feel like that’s how good Jeff is,” Young said of Okudah. “He’s just like me, watches film all the time, hard worker, you know, handles his business on and off the field, just a great guy overall, definitely going to be one of the best in the NFL one day.”
It’s doubtful Okudah goes before Young, but crazier things have happened. They are both the top-ranked player at their position in this draft class.
The Giants need cornerbacks, even after selecting four in the last two drafts. DeAndre Baker, Julian Love, Sam Beal and Corey Ballentine are all still very green and even though general manager Dave Gettleman is likely to add to that mix via free agency, it would be difficult to pass on such prospect like Okudah if he is available at No. 4.
Okudah (6’1″, 205) ran the 40 in 4.48 seconds at last week’s NFL Combine and had a vertical jump of 41 inches. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com likens Okudah to Arizona Cardinal perennial Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson.
“Head coach and general manager’s dream prospect with blue-chip physical traits, mental makeup and personal character,” writes Zierlein. “He has size, length and foot quickness to road-block press release and elite closing burst to close catch windows or eliminate yards after catch. He has room for improvement with his recognition and balance at the top of the route, but quarterbacks rarely target and beat him over the top. He has a rigid adherence to technique, but squeezing coverage even tighter and trusting his traits, talent and recovery speed could make him one of the top shutdown corners in the game.”
Okudah would change the complexion of the Giants’ defense by cutting the passing lanes for the opponent by a third. Think coverage sacks.
It’s not a slam dunk that Okudah even falls to the Giants. If Washington selects Young at No. 2, Detroit could easily cash in on Okudah with the third pick. That would be okay by Gettleman, who would then either trade back a few spots and collect more picks and end up with either Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons or one of the top offensive tackles.
[lawrence-related id=642144,642119,642136]