Jeff Okudah Called 'Pretty Can't Miss' by Unnamed Scout Ahead of 2020 NFL Draft

Joe Burrow, Chase Young and Tua Tagovailoa have generated many of the headlines leading up to Thursday's NFL draft, but they are far from the only game-changing prospects available. 

One scout even called Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah "pretty can't miss" while breaking down his game, per Bob McGinn of The Athletic:

"His feet for a guy that big are insanely good. This guy's better than Denzel Ward. He's bigger. That's the big key. He's not as flat-out fast as Denzel but he plays faster than what he ran. If you're going to nitpick he hasn't taken the ball away a ton. If I'm going to defend him I'll say he hasn't been challenged enough to have big interception numbers. The character is awesome. This kid has the swagger and awesome mental toughness to play corner. You've got to have some assh--e in you to play corner just in believing in yourself to the point of arrogance almost. I don't think this kid is arrogant but he has the necessary level of self-confidence to be a great corner. I don't like to use the term 'can't miss' because there's way too many variables, but he's pretty can't miss."

Okudah arrived at Ohio State as a 5-star prospect in the class of 2017, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and lived up to the already elevated expectations on one of the biggest stages college football has to offer.

He was a consensus All-American in 2019, often tasked with shadowing the opponent's best wide receiver and spearheading a defense alongside Young that helped lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance.

The cornerback finished the year with 34 tackles, three interceptions and nine passes defended and likely would have put up even better numbers if opponents didn't shy away from throwing in his direction, as the scout suggested.

While Burrow and Young are widely expected to come off the board first, it wouldn't be a surprise if Okudah went No. 3 overall to the Detroit Lions. The Lions traded Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason and have the spot available for a new shutdown corner.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projected Detroit to take the Ohio State product with the No. 3 pick and ranked him as the third-best overall player in the draft.

"Jeff Okudah is a true shutdown prospect at cornerback who has the size (6'1", 205 lbs), speed (4.48-second 40-yard dash), toughness and ball skills to be an elite NFL starter," Miller wrote. "Okudah fits the profile of a No. 1 cornerback and should be one of the best young corners in the league. He's that talented."

It's not every year a team with a glaring need at cornerback can address it with a potential Pro Bowler for years to come in the draft, but the Lions may have that chance Thursday.