Jeff Okudah selected No. 3 overall by Detroit Lions
After one of the greatest seasons at cornerback in Ohio State history, Jeff Okudah has been drafted to the Detroit Lions with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Okudah made a quick impact in his freshman season as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 cornerback in the country from Grand Prairie, Texas, playing in all 14 games and tallying 17 tackles, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
In his sophomore year, he didn't crack the starting lineup, but was a consistent force for Ohio State's defense. He appeared in 13 games while racking up 32 tackles and a team-leading eight pass breakups.
Okudah became a force during his junior season as one of the best shutdown corners in college football. Jeff Hafley became Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator along with Greg Mattison, and with this brought Hafley's single-high scheme which would allow Okudah to dominate in coverage.
Despite not having a career start up to this point, he placed himself among the best in the nation in just 14 games as a starter, helping Ohio State's passing defense become the best in the country in 2019.
Along the way, he picked up his first career interception against Miami (OH), then just a week later against Nebraska, recorded two interceptions in the first quarter that helped lead Ohio State to victory.
He finished the season the 34 tackles, three interceptions, and a team-leading nine pass breakups in addition to a forced fumble.
For his efforts in his final year, he was named a Unanimous All-American, First Team All-Big Ten and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football.
Overall, Okudah finished his Ohio State career with 83 tackles, 18 pass breakups, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He appeared in 41 games for Ohio State with 14 starts, all in his junior season.
Ohio State has often been considered one of the candidates for "DBU", the school with the best collection of defensive backs, and Okudah makes a strong addition to this list as the sixth Ohio State cornerback to be taken in the NFL Draft since 2015.
Additionally, he is the 10th Ohio State cornerback to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1999.
Okudah joins Chase Young as a top-three pick in the NFL Draft, the first time that Ohio State has had two players in the top three since Orlando Pace (first overall) and Shawn Spring (third overall) in 1997.