Brad Holmes Did Not Actively Shop CB Jeff Okudah

The Lions' GM discussed his decision to move on from a former top draft pick.

The Detroit Lions have made several big moves during the offseason. 

Several of the team's additions have been in the secondary, as Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson have all signed deals to join the Lions. 

As a result, the organization made the decision to move on from former top draft pick Jeff Okudah. 

The No. 3 overall pick in 2020, Okudah was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2023 fifth-round pick earlier this offseason. 

During his pre-draft media session, Lions general manager Brad Holmes discussed why he made the choice to trade one of the team's recent top picks. 

“Yeah, I just think it was the right time," Holmes explained. "It was just the right time, and I think it was good for Jeff. I had a good talk with him after it was done, and he totally understood it, as well. It was great. I really respect what Jeff did. We kind of put him in some adverse moments in training camp last year, and like I told you guys, I really respected how he battled and didn’t bat an eye and won the starting job. We had the conversation of, ‘OK, if this didn’t happen, now, is there a chance that it could happen a little bit later?’ I just think it was good for Jeff.”

In his three-year tenure with the Lions, Okudah struggled to make a sizable impact. Injuries limited him to just 10 games in his first two seasons. 

He bounced back stronger in 2022. In 15 games, he made 73 tackles, and notched one interception. 

Okudah is in the midst of an important offseason. The Lions weren't expected to pick up his fifth-year option, so his future remains uncertain following the trade. 

The Lions are deeper in the secondary than they were a year ago. In addition to the aforementioned trio of free agents, Will Harris was re-signed to a one-year deal. Jerry Jacobs also returns, after starting a combined 17 games over the last two seasons. 

Detroit's third-year general manager indicated that he wasn't actively shopping the cornerback. Rather, he and Atlanta's general manager, Terry Fontenot, were able to come to an agreement. 

"I’ve got a lot of respect for Terry out there in Atlanta," Holmes noted. "It was a really smooth, efficient process. It kind of just came up. Again, like I was telling you guys about the (T.J.) Hockenson trade, I wasn’t making a ton of calls, and I wasn’t actively shopping or anything like that. You get the call, and sometimes it just lines up and it makes sense for all parties. And, it just did."