If the Jaguars were to look at corner high in the first round, Jeffrey Okudah might just be the guy they have their eyes set on.
Earlier this week Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye was asked about the defensive unit and its recent struggles and responded with the following quote, which proves the Jags’ defense needs to rebuild:
“It’s a lot of things. But then you also have to look at it this way: Coming in, we expected a personnel that we didn’t get. We had one who requested a trade. We had one who never showed up at linebacker. Then you have Marcell [Dareus], who got hurt. […] We’re just trying to make it work with what we’ve got and it’s tough sometimes and sometimes we can’t adapt to it and we try to just stay within the scheme.”
The defense has lost three of its top players for the year and it seems to be taking a toll on the unit. The team has struggled against the run especially and has had difficulties tackling as well. The once feisty and young group has lost its fire and needs direction.
With the loss of their star corner Jalen Ramsey, the team may be looking to replace the All-Pro in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. Who better to replace him than arguably the best corner since him: Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah.
Okudah possesses similar size (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) and a similar skill set to Ramsey. Both are exceptional athletes and are at their best in man coverage. Their length, ball skills, and ability to blanket receivers are elite traits along with their impressive closing ability.
If the Jaguars were to look at corner early in the first-round, Okudah might be just the guy they have their eyes set on.
Going into the 2019 season, Okudah was highly thought of. His elite athleticism is easy to see as were his other traits. However, one of his few flaws was his ability to create turnovers, this is a critique Ramsey similarly saw often coming out of Florida State. Okudah has easily shrugged off this scouting complaint though, as the young corner has already picked off opposing quarterbacks on three occasions this season.
Two of those interceptions came against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The latter of the two was absolutely jaw-dropping as Okudah intercepted the ball while laying on his back, displaying incredible reaction skills.
Here is another example of what Okudah offers against the deep ball as he displayed excellent ball skills against the Indiana Hoosiers.
In the clip above, Okudah’s ability to keep stride with the receiver was also impressive, as was his ability to go up from behind and cause the pass breakup.
Okudah’s best traits, however, are likely his hip movement and his closing speed. Okudah is a threat in zone coverage, just as he is in man coverage. He quickly closes on balls deflecting them or stopping the play dead in its tracks. For corners, the number one thing scouts look for is fluid hips. It’s all about how well a corner can change directions and make a play on the ball. It’s often the difference in the good and great defensive backs in today’s game. Okudah makes it look easy and that’s why he is being so highly touted as a prospect.
Okudah shows off his closing speed brilliantly in this clip below against Washington.
Okudah reads the quarterback’s eyes, identifies the play and quickly reacts, batting the ball away on a key fourth down. Simply put, Okudah displays rare traits and he will likely be the first corner off the board next April.
If the Jaguars decide to look at the cornerback position, Okudah and teammate Shaun Wade will definitely be on their radar. Don’t be surprised to see Okudah flourish at the next level.
