Former 3rd overall pick Jeff Okudah chewed out by coach, exits with possible Achilles injury
Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah has had better days.
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft entered this season needing a good start after a rough rookie season and a coaching change. He would spend the opener against the San Francisco 49ers getting torched, chewed out and ultimately injured.
His coverage on this 79-yard touchdown by Deebo Samuel was particularly maligned.
Later, he would be seen getting chewed out on the sideline by Lions defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant (video atop this article), who seemed to repeatedly yell "Do your job" in Okudah's face.
The worst break happened in the fourth quarter. Okudah exited the game with an apparent leg injury, which Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters after the game was being evaluated as an Achilles injury.
Okudah will undergo an MRI on Monday, and a full tear of the Achilles would end his sophomore season after one game.
#Lions coach Dan Campbell told reporters they are evaluating CB Jeff Okudah, who appeared to suffer an Achilles injury. They will have an MRI tomorrow to determine if it is fully torn. Another difficult circumstance for Okudah.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 12, 2021
This wasn't how the Lions though Okudah's career would be going when they picked him out of Ohio State last year. Okudah was hailed as one of the best cornerback prospects of his generation after three years with the Buckeyes and considered a Day 1 starter in the NFL. He so far has looked like he has a ways to go before hitting his ceiling.
Now, the wait could be even longer.
