Where CB Jeff Okudah Ranks Among Defensive Rookie of the Year Contenders

NFL analyst ranks 2020 defensive rookie of the year contenders.

Cornerback Jeff Okudah, drafted No. 3 overall by the Lions in the 2020 NFL Draft, was the second defensive player taken in the draft. EDGE rusher Chase Young, a fellow Ohio State Buckeyes product, was taken by the Redskins with the pick before him.

Yet, Okudah comes in at just fifth among the defensive rookie of the year contenders, according to NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein. 

Here's what Zierlein had to say about his ranking of Okudah at No. 5:

"Given the difficulty of his position and his relatively low ball production in college (three INTs, 18 passes defensed in three seasons), perhaps I've ranked Okudah too high on this list. Here's the thing, though: He's a terrific athlete with great length and the physical ability to twitch and explode on throws. He hasn't learned to fully trust his eyes, but if it starts to click for him in that area as a rookie and if he's allowed to play a little more off-man coverage, those explosive traits could pay early dividends."

To the surprise of likely no one, he ranked Young No. 1 on his list.

Let's take a look now at some more trending Lions news from around the web on Saturday, July 11:

• Pro Football Focus provided an interesting stat on Okudah, saying that he's allowed the second-lowest completion percentage among Ohio State CBs since 2014. 

• Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman asked his readers to choose a player from the team of a Lions rival that they've "secretly" liked over the years. 

• USA Today Lions Wire's Jeff Risdon recapped his visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. 

• DetroitLions.com managing editor Lindsay Miller took a look, along with fellow site content producers Tim Twentyman, Mike O'Hara and Tori Petry, at the one Lions player -- outside of Jamal Agnew -- that could suit up at another position. 

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