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Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah goes No. 3 to Detroit in NFL Draft, just one pick after teammate Chase Young
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Ohio State has produced back-to-back NFL Draft picks this year.
Just one pick after Chase Young was selected by the Washington Redskins, teammate and cornerback Jeff Okudah was taken with the No. 3 overall pick by the Detroit Lions. It’s the first time Ohio State has produced back-to-back first-round picks since the 2016 NFL Draft, when Joey Bosa was taken No. 3 (San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers) and Ezekiel Elliott was selected No. 4 (Dallas Cowboys).
It’s also the first time since the 1997 NFL Draft that Ohio State has accounted for two of the first three draft selection. In the 1997 draft, offensive lineman Orlando Pace was selected No. 1 overall by the St. Louis Rams and cornerback Shawn Springs was taken with the No. 3 pick by the Seattle Seahawks.
Okudah has been regarded as the top defensive back in this year’s draft class and has been considered one of the top five overall prospects, as well. He had a stellar year on the field for the Buckeyes in Jeff Hafley’s offense, which allowed Ohio State to flourish defensively in 2019.
In his final year with the Buckeyes, Okudah collected 35 tackles, nine pass break-ups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a tackle for loss in all 14 games. He helped guide Ohio State to a 13-1 record and a third-straight B1G title.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB