Jeff Okudah's second season in the NFL is over after just one game. The Lions former first-round pick left Sunday's opener against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter after suffering what the team feared to be an Achilles injury. After having an MRI, Lions coach Dan Campbell confirmed the bad news on Monday that the corner has, in fact, suffered a ruptured Achilles, meaning he will miss the remainder of the 2021 season.
Okudah was taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but has yet to truly live up to that billing. His rookie season was filled with up-and-down performances. In his nine games (six starts) played, Okudah tallied 47 tackles, one interception and recorded two pass breakups. When targeted by opposing quarterbacks in 2020, he was allowing just over 77% of their passes to be completed with a passer rating of 118. That inconsistent play seemed to bleed into the opener against San Francisco where Okudah was on the hook for a 79-yard touchdown catch by Niners receiver Deebo Samuel.
That said, the Lions new coaching staff was reportedly encouraged by Okudah's progress this offseason, which left optimism that he'd be able to become a key face in Detroit's secondary. This injury, however, proves to be another roadblock.
On top of some inconsistent play, durability is now a growing concern for the 22-year-old. His rookie season was stopped short after he landed on injured reserve in December due to a core muscle injury. Now, it's an Achilles that's preventing the talented young corner from living up to his draft status.
