Jeff Okudah Drafted by Lions: Detroit's Updated Depth Chart After Round 1

The Detroit Lions have high hopes Jeff Okudah will upgrade their pass defense after selecting the former Ohio State star No. 3 overall in the 2020 NFL draft.  

Okudah was widely regarded as the top cornerback and one of the best players regardless of position in this year's class. He emerged as one of the nation's best defensive backs in two seasons as a full-time starter for the Buckeyes. 

In 27 games at Ohio State, Okudah recorded 51 total tackles and two fumble recoveries. All three of his career interceptions came during the 2019 season when he was named to the All-Big Ten first team and was a unanimous first-team All-American. 

Lions Defensive Depth Chart 

LDE: Romeo Okwara, Austin Bryant

DT: Danny Shelton, Olive Sagapolu

DT: John Atkins, Kevin Strong Jr.

RDE: Trey Flowers, Da'Shawn Hand

OLB: Jamie Collins, Jalen Reeves-Maybin

MLB: Jarrad Davis, Jahlani Tavai

OLB: Christian Jones, Elijah Lee

CB: Desmond Trufant, Mike Ford

CB: Jeff Okudah, Justin Coleman, Darryl Roberts

FS: Tracy Walker, Jayron Kearse

SS: Duron Harmon, Will Harris

Depth chart info provided by Ourlads and Over the Cap.

Coming off a dominant junior year, Okudah was earning high praise from NFL draft analysts as one of the best defensive back prospects in recent memory:

B/R's Matt Miller called Okudah the best cornerback prospect since Jalen Ramsey in October:

"What makes Okudah so special? It's partially his athleticism and size, both of which are ideal for an outside cornerback who plays in man coverage. But one Ohio State staffer said he's "the most mature and self-motivated cornerback out of the recent ones" they've had. Mature and self-motivated are two words not often used to describe cornerbacks, who can be high-maintenance and attention-seeking."

Few things can instantly improve a defense faster than a shutdown cornerback. The San Francisco 49ers had the NFL's best pass defense thanks in large part to Richard Sherman taking away half the field from opposing quarterbacks. 

Okudah's potential gives the Lions every reason to think they have found a superstar in the secondary. He comes with a lot of hype after consistently producing at an elite level for one of the best college programs in the nation over the past three seasons. 

One of the most obvious pre-draft pairings was Okudah going to the Lions. The team created a void in the secondary by trading Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Okudah will make for a natural replacement as soon as he steps on the field. He will also join free-agent signee Desmond Trufant in the Lions' new-look secondary. 

Per Solomon Wilcots of Pro Football Focus, Detroit's secondary ranked as the fifth-worst in the NFL last season due in large part to struggles in man coverage (149 first downs allowed, 105.5 quarterback rating against). 

Okudah's ability to shut down opposing receivers and attack the football makes him one of the best pure players in this year's draft. The Lions will be able to start him right away as they look to improve on last year's 3-12-1 record.