Sep 12, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) makes a catch in front of Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah (23) in the third quarter and runs for a touchdown at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
As he apparently makes good progress in recovery from a torn Achilles, Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah is expected to be ready for training camp.
After an ineffective and injury-plagued rookie season in 2020, a regime change was only good news for Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah a year ago. But any progress he could have made last season went unrealized, with a Week 1 torn Achilles’ ending his season before it really started.
The news has been good on Okudah’s recovery, from his own social media updates to the team not ready to give up on him. The Lions could certainly use help from the third overall pick in the 2020 draft. Detroit had the league’s 24th-ranked pass defense last season (244.7 yards allowed per game), with 11 interceptions (six by Amani Oruwariye, one combined for every other cornerback) and 31 touchdown passes allowed (tied for third-most in the league).
Dan Campbell tentatively expects Jeff Okudah to be ready for training camp
Speaking about Okudah and edge rusher Romeo Okwara, who is working his way back from an Achilles’ tear of his own in Week 4 last season, Lions head coach Dan Campbell expects to have both in some capacity for the start of training camp.
Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:
As long as everything stays the course with their recovery then we should have them hopefully by training camp, at least on a limited basis, which would be good. So we’re hoping for the season on both of those guys if they’re ready.”
New clips of Okudah running are nice to see, but he is coming back from a major injury–and one that has derailed, if not effectively ended, some careers. Any idea of a move to safety has been dismissed at this point. But if Okudah can get (and stay) healthy and add depth to a Lions’ secondary that needs help, where he lines up is less important than how and where he can be effective.