Former Ohio State and current Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah had his first career NFL interception Sunday. Taken as the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Okudah was expected to plug right in and be a lockdown type of guy with the Lions immediately.
And while he’s getting plenty of playing time on the field, it’s taken a little bit for the team to gain complete confidence in the rookie’s abilities. Maybe stealing one out of the air from Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray will help accelerate those efforts.
To get the pick, Okudah did what we’ve seen him do many times at Ohio State. The receiver gained slight separation but the former Buckeye used his closing speed to submarine in front of the pass and steal it away with a diving attempt. He also got up and returned it for a good gain to give even better field position to the Lions’ offense.
In case you didn’t see what can only be described as an extremely athletic play from Okudah, click on the below tweet and see him burst across the field and layout for the ball.
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Rookie CB Jeff Okudah's first career interception! #OnePride
📺: #DETvsAZ on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/xcinwkkjUL pic.twitter.com/2qX0scVQqv— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2020
We have a good feeling that as we follow the career arc of Okudah, we’ll see more and more of this as he gets more time on the field.
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