The Atlanta Falcons have traded for 2020 number three overall draft pick Jeff Okudah from the Detroit Lions in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. Okudah has two interceptions and 124 combined tackles in his first three NFL seasons.
Trade: the Falcons are acquiring Lions CB Jeff Okudah, his agent Kevin Conner of @UniSportsMgmt confirmed.
Conner articulated that the GMs of the two teams involved – Detroit’s Brad Holmes and Atlanta’s Terry Fontenot – made it a seamless, collaborative process. The… pic.twitter.com/vjSqui79aE
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 11, 2023
Okudah was selected by the Lions as a highly coveted prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft after an impressive career at Ohio State; with that said, the Lions did not receive the production they expected out of Okudah, and with his rookie deal expiring after the coming season, the team decided to move on rather than letting him walk for nothing in the offseason.
As for the Falcons, this is an understandable move for a team in their position as they are currently rebuilding their franchise. This is very much a low-risk/high-reward decision by Atlanta as Okudah may be able to turn his career around and thus lead to more success for the Falcons organization, or if Okudah does not entice the team to give him a contract extension, they can simply move on.
Former #3 overall pick Jeff Okudah is headed to Atlanta! pic.twitter.com/exrFB62ggM
— SuperBook Sports (@SuperBookSports) April 11, 2023
As for Okudah, the 24-year-old defensive back has a massive opportunity in front of him as he looks to start fresh in Atlanta and have the best season of his career so far. Okudah will join a cornerbacks room that includes another former highly touted prospect in A.J. Terrell; it will be interesting to see how Okudah meshes into what Ryan Nielsen and the rest of the Falcons defensive staff have in mind for the upcoming 2023-24 football season.
All in all, this move makes sense for both sides, and now, the main person to watch is Okudah as he pushes forward to show that he belongs in the NFL as a starting cornerback.
Let us know what you think about the Falcons acquiring Jeff Okudah by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
