The Atlanta Falcons sent a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Detroit Lions in exchange for cornerback Jeff Okudah on Tuesday. Okudah, 24, spent his first three seasons in Detroit after being selected with the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
The #Falcons are trading a 2023 fifth-round pick to the #Lions for CB Jeff Okudah, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 11, 2023
Okudah, a star at Ohio State, had an up-and-down rookie season for the Lions. Then in 2021, he ruptured his Achilles in Week 1 and missed the rest of the year. In 2022, Okudah started 15 games for the Lions, recording seven passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception.
Atlanta has already signed defensive backs Mike Hughes, Cornell Armstrong and Jessie Bates III in free agency, and now the team is taking a minor risk by acquiring the 24-year-old Okudah.
The fifth round is where the Falcons found Tyler Allgeier in last year’s draft, so it’s not like the team is getting Okudah for free. Still, it’s a minor price to pay for a player as talented as the former Buckeyes cornerback.
