After being carted off the practice field Friday with an ankle injury, Jeff Okudah received some good news on his MRI. Falcons coach Arthur Smith told reporters that the cornerback has a chance to return from his leg injury early in the season, via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Smith wouldn’t reveal what exact injury Okudah suffered, but it sounds like it should take only about a month to recover.
“Very positive news with Jeff,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “We have think he has a great chance to be back in the early part of the season. We feel really good for Jeff, all things considered.”
The third overall pick in the 2020 draft has dealt with his fair share of injuries during his brief career. Okudah got into nine games (six starts) as a rookie before undergoing surgery to resolve a core muscle injury. He returned in time for the 2021 season opener, but he ruptured his Achilles during that contest and didn’t see the field again during his sophomore campaign.
The cornerback stayed mostly healthy during his third season in the NFL. Okudah started all 15 of his appearances last season, finishing with 73 tackles, seven passes defended and one pick-six. He finished the season ranked 77th among 118 qualifying cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus, but the site did give him one of the best grades at his position for his rush defense.
With Okudah sidelined, Tre Flowers filled in opposite A.J. Terrell during Saturday's practice. The team has some additional depth at cornerback, including Dee Alford, Mike Hughes and rookie fourth-round pick Clark Phillips III.
Elsewhere on the injury front, Smith revealed that Calais Campbell is “trending in the right direction” as he looks to return to the practice field, per ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. The offseason acquisition is currently sitting on the non-football injury list.
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