3. Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
Height: 6’1 Weight: 205
40-Yard Dash: 4.48 seconds
Bench Press: 11 reps
Vertical Jump: 41.0 inches
Broad Jump: 135.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: The son of Nigerian immigrants, Okudah grew up in New Jersey first and then Texas, where he became the top cornerback prospect in the nation at South Grand Prairie High School. He chose Ohio State after getting offers from just about every major program, and found success as he climbed the Buckeyes’ depth chart. In 2019, his first season as a full-time starter, he had 35 tackles, one tackle for loss, two forced fumbles, 21 passes defensed, and three interceptions.
Okudah continued his competitive demeanor at the scouting combine, when some guy at the scouting combine asked him about his “sloppy technique.”
Okudah is brilliance. What a response. pic.twitter.com/vxvSXAAPmW
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) February 28, 2020
Receivers know how this kid felt.
“For me, I kind of try to take bits and pieces from each player,” Okudah said at the combine, when he wasn’t berating impertinent reporters. “So for me, I like watching how Richard Sherman understands real concepts. I like watching Patrick Peterson’s consistency and his technique. Jalen Ramsey’s physicality, his aggressiveness. I watch how Stephon Gilmore switches up his leverage every time to break the quarterback. So, I just take bits and pieces and try to emulate all of that.”
Stat to Know: In 440 coverage snaps last season, Okudah gave up just 27 catches on 58 targets for 282 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 45.3.
Strengths: It does not take long to see how talented – and pro-ready – Okudah is to play cornerback at the next level. Turn on any game and within moments you will see skills and traits that translate to the next level. Take this one play against Maryland, the third defensive play of the game for the Buckeyes:
Okudah is in press alignment to the outside, using inside leverage against the wide receiver. Rather than panic at the start of the play, he is patient with both his feet and his hands, like a cobra waiting to strike. When the receiver declares his route by releasing to the outside on a vertical stem, Okudah then gets his hand into his shoulder pads to maintain his relationship with him, and slow his momentum. But alas! The receiver is actually trying to get the corner to bite on the vertical release and suddenly hits the breaks, to run a hitch route. No matter, Okudah has the hips and the footwork to stop on a dime, drive back downhill and make a play at the catch point.
One play, almost everything you want to see in a cornerback.
Okudah is schematically-diverse, aggressive at the catch point, and plays the position without fear. His Combine positional workout was almost pristine, from his change-of-direction ability to his footwork in the backpedal. I mean…pristine:
Jeff Okudah's footwork is so smooth… pic.twitter.com/0ppHwyFquV
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) March 1, 2020
As an aside, there is a version of that set to “Smooth Criminal” that is also worth a click.
He checks every box. Except maybe the musical one, but you’re drafting him to cover, not sing.
Weaknesses: If you want perfection, then perhaps you can find a weakness or two. Okudah was hit with flags two years ago, but that was something he cleaned up this past season. Still, he does get a bit physical at times and with how the game is called in the NFL, he might draw his share of flags. He could be a bit better at tracking the football and breaking up passes, Pro Football Focus charted him with 11 forced incompletions, which was only tied for 60th in FBS last season. So he is not perfect I guess. Not sure that really counts as a “weakness” but given that it is “anonymous scout season,” perhaps it does.
Conclusion: The bottom line is simply this: Okudah can flat-out cover. Everything about his is executed at a high-level, and the fact that Okudah is plug-and-play in any defensive system speaks volumes.
Comparison: Aqib Talib makes a great deal of sense as a comparison. Bill Belichick often stressed with his defensive backs the ability to flip their hips and change direction, and that is perhaps why the New England Patriots focus mightily on the three-cone drill as a piece of player evaluations. With Okudah, like with Talib, his footwork and change-of-direction ability is a critical component of what makes him great.