Did Jeff Okudah Improve the Atlanta Falcons Defense?

Following Jeff Okudah's first start for the Atlanta Falcons, head coach Arthur Smith shared his feelings about the cornerback's performance.

The Atlanta Falcons may have suffered a second consecutive loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but one positive takeaway was that cornerback Jeff Okudah had his first start of the season.

After missing the start of the season, Okudah graded out well in his first start for the Falcons, posting a 75.1 Pro Football Focus grade, even higher than that of former All-Pro cornerback A.J. Terrell has this season [71.9].

“I thought Jeff played really well. That was good to see," Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith said. 

Jeff Okudah performed well in his first start for the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4 :: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

"Our DBs are playing really well in coverage. We took a risk. They got a broken play. It was the one touchdown they scored. I thought A.J. Terrell played lights out. I thought Dee Alford played well. Safeties continue to do a good job.”

Through four weeks, the Falcons have had one of the best secondaries in the league, allowing the third least total passing yards league-wide. Opponents are averaging just 186.8 passing yards per game on Atlanta’s secondary.

Unfortunately, the Falcons are tied for the ninth most passing touchdowns allowed at this point in the season at six through four games.

“There are always things that we can do a little bit better,” Smith said before adding that overall, he was really happy for Okudah to have gotten his first start.

“We’ve made a huge investment in our defense. They’re playing really well.”

If Okudah can continue to help Atlanta’s defense up in the secondary and help them cut down on the touchdowns, then perhaps the team will be able to overcome their current losing streak as the offense continues to try to find its footing.