Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah appears to be realizing what he missed out on coaching-wise during the 2020 season.
Okudah, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, struggled as a rookie, playing in only nine games before suffering a season-ending groin injury. Now healthy, much more is expected from him in year two. It sounds like he’s ready to provide it, in part because of the team’s new coaching staff.
Okudah seemed to subtly criticize former coach Matt Patricia’s staff when speaking of his initial work with new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant. Okudah said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:
“Just sitting down with them, within the first couple meetings I was picking up so much things that I thought to myself, like, it would have just been nice to have these tools in my toolbox going into my rookie year. I’m still grateful to have them going into the second year, and I think that it’s only been two or three months and we still have all this work to do. It just has me excited how much more there is to learn, and how much better there is to get leading up to the season.”
Whether it’s intentional or not, it sure sounds like Okudah feels let down by the team’s former coaching staff. He definitely wouldn’t be alone in that regard.
Glenn had his own take on the job Patricia and his former staff did. The new start seems to be coming as a relief for everyone, but time will tell if the team is more successful under the new regime.
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