Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
Perhaps the least likely of all the projections to the Panthers in NFL mock drafts is the idea of former Ohio State corner Jeff Okudah going 7th overall. The consensus among NFL experts is that he is the top corner in this year’s class and it’s not particularly close.
Not only is there a need for the Panthers to continue to add foundational talents on defense, in general, there is a particular need at cornerback. They lost their top corner in free agency to the New York Giants. The outlook isn’t great when it comes to replacing him with on-roster options.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein called Okudah a ‘dream prospect with blue-chip physical traits, mental makeup and personal character’ and it’s hard to argue that. The Ohio State product has practically everything anyone would want in a prospect at the cornerback position.
“Head coach and general manager’s dream prospect with blue-chip physical traits, mental makeup and personal character. He has size, length and foot quickness to road-block press release and elite closing burst to close catch windows or eliminate yards after catch. He has room for improvement with his recognition and balance at the top of the route, but quarterbacks rarely target and beat him over the top. He has a rigid adherence to technique, but squeezing coverage even tighter and trusting his traits, talent and recovery speed could make him one of the top shutdown corners in the game.”
The shutdown corner appeared in 13 games last season and totaled 34 combined tackles (one for loss), three interceptions, nine passes defensed, and one forced fumble. The fear he put into opposing quarterbacks to throw his way
The Detroit Lions are frequently projected to select Okudah with the No. 3 pick but they could end up trading down the order. The idea of the Lions trading down due to a team pursuing a particular quarterback prospect would likely result in a significant impact on the defensive prospects.