detroitroar Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 On 1/31/2020 at 2:51 PM, LionArkie said: I'm starting to really come around on the idea of Jeffrey Okudah. I think at this point in time I would have 1A Young and 1B Okudah. I'd be fine with him at 3, but if we could trade back to 5 and pick him up, man that'd be nice. What is it that your liking about him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LionArkie Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 (edited) 19 hours ago, detroitroar said: What is it that your liking about him? For me, this isn't a straight forward question. I've said multiple times I prefer big uglies first then work the middle, then out. I prefer to draft skill positions, which I consider CB to be one, when you have all other pieces set. The only exception I would make is the opportunity to land a franchise qb and even then, I would like a more conservative approach, for instance, he's the #1 rated player on your board. Once you have all that set, then you take your risks. The Lions have never done this and I believe this is a large reason for 50 years of suckiness.***I'm specifically speaking of top 10-15 picks, especially top 5. So, on to Okudah and the question you asked. With everything I stated above, Okudah, may be the best way to help the Lions the fastest. The Lions had an abysmal pass rush last year. I don't believe any rookie will come in and fix it right away, not even Young. People want to point to Bosa doing it, but I believe this is the exception, not the norm. I think, and always have thought, Okudah might be the second best player in the draft, right behind Young maybe even on par with Young, but he is a cb, who generally take 3 years to develop. We've seen that Slay also needed time to develop. However, Okudah is a more completed cb coming out of college. *updated edit -- So it may not take him as long to become a quality starter. So, i'm thinking he could be good to go within a year or two. The thought of Slay and Okudah playing together would be great, and I think that would definitely help generate pass rush. I despise indirectly trying to improve a positional group, in this case the DL, but it may be the Lions best shot this year. Drafting Okudah also insures the Lions, if Slay departs, have a quality cb. I think this can't be understated enough. If Slay resigns, with Okudah on the roster, that will be one nasty secondary. So this brings the question to the forefront, "Why is Okudah a 1B prospect right behind Young". I believe it is the article posted on another thread and Sliim pointed out as well: Quote On 184 snaps of press coverage, Okudah never allowed a completion of longer than 12 yards at Ohio State. On 400 coverage snaps overall, just six resulted in a completion of 15 yards. That's insane. He's played in the Big 10. He's played in the College Football Playoff...the dude is battle tested and I think his bust rate is going to be low. I am not going to grant him HOF status or anything, but I think it will be very likely he has Pro Bowl potential. I will go one step further and say if he is not a regular Pro Bowler, he is a bust to me. With this statement, I think we still may need to draft him. Also, I think it is easier to fill DL positions than it is a CB in FA. If we could even get a half way decent pass rush, that would only make Okudah better. The Lions have seemed to do oddly well finding players off the street and improving the pass rush with the exception of last year. I think with Slay and Okudah, a half-assed defensive line, it could be a decent outcome for the Lions defense for many years. This is not my preferred method, but it may be the best method for this upcoming year. To win most games you need to either take away the pass or rush. I think in this scenario, the Lions could definitely take away the pass. I don't like it, but it could work. Edited February 3, 2020 by LionArkie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nastradamus Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 On 1/24/2020 at 5:17 PM, LionArkie said: I like Murray, but I don't see how the Lions land him. He is not the talent to take at 3 and I don't believe he will fall to us in the second. I don't think Patricia would draft him for his system 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nastradamus Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 On 1/26/2020 at 2:59 PM, TL-TwoWinsAway said: Yeah, I'm really seeing Uche as a piece for this Lions' defense: ideal size, great athleticism, likes to apply pressure, high character. He also seems to be a big fan of Patricia. If he has a good combine, I could see Uche as a target in rounds 2-3. Size is his major detractor actually, but I still like him here. He may fit the Davis role better than the Kennard role though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karnage84 Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 28 minutes ago, Nastradamus said: Size is his major detractor actually, but I still like him here. He may fit the Davis role better than the Kennard role though. If that is the case, then we need to know what his coverage grades are compared to JD. Quote "His heavy, strong hands seemed to shock blockers at the contact point. Uche was also able to run with some of the running backs in coverage, which is good for his future in the NFL." "He won me over during Wednesday's practice," an anonymous NFL scout added in the article. "He doesn't have the typical edge-rusher build but likely projects as an outside 'backer who can sustain pass-rushing downs in certain defenses. https://michigan.rivals.com/news/uche-had-by-far-the-best-showing-of-any-player-in-the-senior-bowl-per-pff 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TL-TwoWinsAway Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 47 minutes ago, Nastradamus said: Size is his major detractor actually, but I still like him here. He may fit the Davis role better than the Kennard role though. I thought he weighed in a 250 at the Senior Bowl. I was mistaken: 241. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nastradamus Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 If I had to comp Uche to an NFL player it would be Van Noy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millenhater Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 On 2/4/2020 at 8:24 AM, Nastradamus said: If I had to comp Uche to an NFL player it would be Van Noy Zach Baun. That is the guy we want. Can play all 3 LB postions. He reminds me of KVN the most. And I was a HUGE KVN fan coming out. Give me Baun over Uche. If you haven’t watched him yet check him out. I bet he’s a guy the Lions really want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karnage84 Posted February 9, 2020 Author Share Posted February 9, 2020 15 hours ago, Millenhater said: Zach Baun. That is the guy we want. Can play all 3 LB postions. He reminds me of KVN the most. And I was a HUGE KVN fan coming out. Give me Baun over Uche. If you haven’t watched him yet check him out. I bet he’s a guy the Lions really want. Baun's 235 lbs. I don't know how hard and fast the Lions are going to stick to that size profile but that is a checkmark against Baun or Simmons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millenhater Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 3 hours ago, Karnage84 said: Baun's 235 lbs. I don't know how hard and fast the Lions are going to stick to that size profile but that is a checkmark against Baun or Simmons. I think at the senior bowl he weighed in at 6’2 1/2” 240. I think he has room to add weight. His length was a bit concerning. I wonder if he’ll drop weight for the combine as some teams want to view him as an off ball LB. I think he can bulk up 10lbs and not lose spend or flexibility Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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