Ohio State Football: Former Buckeye gets traded

The 2020 draft was a special one for the Ohio State football program. Three former Buckeyes were taken in the first three picks, including Joe Burrow who had transferred to LSU. Chase Young and Jeff Okudah were the second and third picks respectively.

Okudah has had a bit of a rough start to his NFL career. He was drafted by the Lions after having a stellar career with the Buckeyes. Unfortunately, injuries hit Okudah right away. He got hurt in his rookie season, suffering a core injury that finished his year just nine games in.

In 2021, he ruptured his Achilles in the season-opener. It was the worst possible start for him in his NFL career. Last year, he actually played pretty well. He had 73 tackles, 7 passes defended, a pick, and a touchdown. He also played in 15 of Detroit’s 17 games.

Now, Okudah will be playing his football somewhere else. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Okudah has been traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2023 fifth-round pick. Okudah will now be trying to stay healthy in Atlanta and show that he can still be the guy everyone thought he’d be.

I hope this is a bit of a fresh start for Okudah. The former Ohio State football player will also go to a team that is a quarterback away from being pretty decent. The Lions are perennial losers so maybe it’s best for the continuation of his career that he gets out of Detroit.

The most important thing for Okudah is for him to stay healthy. If he can do that, I have no doubt that he can be an impact player for the Falcons next season. Okudah is still immensely talented and smart. I believe he can be a top-shelf corner in the NFL.

We certainly will be watching how he does at his next destination.