The Detroit Lions selected Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah in the NFL draft Thursday night. Detroit went into the opening round desperately needing to help a defense that ranked No.
31 in the league last season. The Lions were expected to take Okudah or linebacker Isaiah Simmons if they didn't trade out of the high slot to acquire multiple picks.
Both Okudah and Simmons have the type of talent to improve the team's most glaring weakness. Okudah, though, seems to fit perfectly.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Okudah can blanket receivers in man-to-man coverage and make tackles to stop the run. He is the highest-drafted cornerback since Shawn Springs was selected from the same school by Seattle in the 1997 draft.