When the Detroit Lions took cornerback Jeff Okudah with the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they had high hopes for him.
However, he hasn’t panned out quite the way they thought he would, and they have now traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for a mere fifth-round draft pick.
What hurts even more for Lions fans is the fact that their team passed on several Pro Bowlers in that year’s draft in order to select Okudah.
Lions drafted Jeff Okudah #3 overall over:
Justin Herbert
Derrick Brown
Tristan Wirfs
CeeDee Lamb
Justin JeffersonAnd today they trade him away for a 5th round pick. YIKES 🥶 pic.twitter.com/qMYDyhJ9dx
— DeeksView (@DeeksViewOG) April 11, 2023
Justin Herbert has become one of the league’s best quarterbacks in a short amount of time, Tristan Wirfs is a two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is also a two-time Pro Bowler, Derrick Brown has become a solid defensive tackle, and Justin Jefferson is arguably the game’s best wideout.
Any of them could’ve perhaps pushed Detroit into the playoffs last season.
As it was, the team was expected to have a poor year, but after a 1-6 start, they won eight of the last 10 games and fell just short of a postseason berth.
Going into the 2023 season, hopes are high in Detroit, as the team has brought back wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., who will team with Amon-Ra St. Brown to give them a nice tandem of playmakers.
In addition, the team seems high on the potential of Jameson Williams, who missed most of 2022, his rookie campaign, with a torn ACL but showed some promise in the few opportunities he did get.
However, the team’s 2020 draft blunder will likely sting for years to come.
