Ohio State Football: Jeff Okudah stands up for Damon Arnette
By Zane Harris
Three more defensive backs from the Ohio State football program will soon be chosen in this year’s NFL Draft. One corner thinks his buddy should be ranked higher than he is.
When this year’s NFL draft is over the Ohio State football program’s reputation of being DBU will be enhanced. Jeff Okudah, Damon Arnette and Jordan Fuller are sure to be drafted.
NFL teams are certainly less prepared going into the 2020 Draft than usual as a result of face to face interviews and Pro Days being canceled. However, former Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah possibly gave all of his potential suitors just what they wanted to hear in a recent interview.
It was a typical interview and Okudah gave the correct answers to all questions in a professional manner. The standout moment NFL scouts will pick up on did not come until the end of ESPN’s NFL Live interview.
When asked if he had any questions for Mel Kiper Jr., who runs one of the most influential mock drafts, this is what Okudah asked him per Buckeye Wire USA Today.com:
"“OK, I do have a question, I do have a question,” Okudah said. “Why is Damon Arnette not considered one of the top DBs in the draft right now?”"
While this may seem like a run of the mill answer, it means much more than that. Okudah stood up for his former teammate, attempting to get him into the spotlight and attention that could greatly influence his draft stock. Not asking a more selfish question,shows his team-first mentality and willingness to be there for teammates.
This trait will be something that teams picking very high in the draft will take into consideration. Okudah will be chosen among the first few picks and will be relied on to be a young leader and cornerstone player of any team that drafts him.
His leadership ability has been seen on the field as Okudah was the best player in a loaded Ohio State secondary. He was relied upon to be the player the rest of the team rallied around and someone who could pick up a teammate.
He certainly did so during games and now it’s obvious he will off the field as well.
Okudah is projected to be the third overall pick in the draft going to the Detroit Lions. However, it is being rumored he could be a player who could drop when Draft Day comes.
While this would be very unfortunate for Okudah, it would be a blessing for whichever team is lucky enough to have him fall into their lap. He is a dream prospect for NFL scouts, and he comes from Ohio State which is DBU.
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He is self-motivated and continues to improve his game each season, and physically he is extremely explosive and quick. Kiper Jr. in the interview compared Okudah to reigning defensive player of the year Stephon Gilmore and multiple time all-pro lockdown corner Patrick Patterson.
It is easy to make the argument that Arnette does have first-round talent. He has NFL size, standing at 6’0″ and weighing 195 pounds.
He is a versatile corner who has experience at both covering the slot or playing on the outside. Along with this, his combination of power and size allows him to shrug aside blocks and be a problem for opposing running games.
dark. Next. Which defensive end can be next great game-wrecker?
The main issue with Arnette that could make the DB slide a bit in the draft is he played along star players in Ohio State’s secondary like Jeff Okudah. This is something that is out of his hands however, and it could lead to him being a great sleeper pick and possibly the steal of the draft.