CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
JEFFREY OKUDAH
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-1
200 pounds
21 years old
BIG PICTURE
All Ohio State does is produce first-round corners, and Jeffrey Okudah is the latest example. An outside corner with excellent size, Okudah has the tools to make an instant impact. Came to the Buckeyes as a five-star recruit, became a full-time starter in 2019 and recorded three interceptions. Quarterbacks have last than a 50 percent completion percentage when throwing his way the last two years. Reportedly a high-character individual who announced his declaration for the 2020 draft in a letter to his late mother, who died in 2017 of lymphoma.
COMBINE NOTABLES
4.48 40-yard dash
41-inch vertical (T-1st)
11 bench reps (T-4th worst)
135-inch broad jump (1st)
VIKINGS’ COMPATIBILITY RANKING
1 out of 5. Okudah is the top player at arguably the Vikings’ top position of need. Barring a drastic fall down the board, however, it seems unlikely the Vikings will be positioned to nab this talented prospect.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Benjamin Solak, Draft Network: “Players with his flexibility and fluidity don’t have his length and size, and even players with such a physical profile don’t have the eyes and mind that Okudah does. Okudah’s elite ability to play with both his eyes in the backfield and his back to the ball stems from extremely quick eyes, a balanced base, and insane reactionary athleticism. Okudah is never out of position and regularly baits QBs and creates opportunities to attack the football because of his elite range of motion. Okudah is scheme-transcendent and matchup-immune, and projects as a high-caliber starter in Year 1 with an All-Pro ceiling during his rookie contract.”
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “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.”
WHAT PFF SAYS
52.9 passer rating against (last two seasons)
Has not allowed 50 yards receiving against in two seasons
8 missed tackles in 2019 (T-308th)
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF