When the Detroit Lions took cornerback Jeff Okudah with the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they had high hopes for him.
However, he didn’t do as well as they thought, and they now traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for only a fifth-round draft pick.
Even more heartbreaking for Lions fans, their team passed up several Pro Bowlers in that year’s draft in order to select Okudah.
Lions draft Jeff Okudah #3 overall:
Justin Herbert
derrick brown
Tristan Wirffs
seed lamb
Justin JeffersonAnd today they trade him for a 5th round pick. yes 🥶 pic.twitter.com/qMYDyhJ9dx
— Deeks View (@DeeksViewOG) April 11, 2023
Justin Herbert has become one of the league’s best quarterbacks in a short amount of time, Tristan Wirfs is a two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Sid Lamb is also a two-time Pro Bowler, Derrick Brown is a solid defensive tackle. The contest becomes, and Justin Jefferson is arguably the best wideout in the game.
Any one of them probably could have pushed Detroit into the playoffs last season.
As it was, the team was expected to have a bad year, but after a 1–6 start, they won eight of their last 10 games and fell just short of a post-season berth.
In the 2023 season, hopes are high in Detroit, as the team brings back wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., who, along with Amon-Ra St. Brown, will give them a fine synergy of playmakers.
In addition, the team looks high on the potential of Jamison Williams, who missed his rookie campaign in 2022 with a torn ACL but showed some promise in the few opportunities he got.
However, the team’s 2020 draft blunder is likely to sting for years to come.
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