Open Cornerback Competition has Jeff Okudah Fighting for Starting Role

Before the practice on Monday, August 1st, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn told the two young DBs they would both be fighting for the second starting Cornerback job. The winner would play opposite of Amani Oruwariye.

“I called both of those guys at the same time and just told them, ‘Here’s the deal. Are you guys going to compete?’ They look forward to it and they were open to seeing what the competition is going to be about,” Glenn told Lions beat reporter Jeff Risdon.

The Competitors

After drafting Jeff Okudah third overall in 2020, it’s disappointing he hasn’t turned into an everyday starter. However, it’s hard to blame the former Buckeye for how his career started. Okudah played nine games in his rookie season before suffering multiple injuries, leaving him out the rest of the year. In 2021, the DB didn’t make it out of Week 1 healthy, as he ruptured his Achilles against San Francisco. 

Will Harris will be entering his fourth season in the NFL, all of which he has worn the Honolulu blue. Harris didn’t miss a single game in his first three seasons in the NFL. The Boston College alumni started all 17 games for Detroit last season at safety. While Harris didn’t play himself into an everyday staring safety, he was a good enough football player and athlete for the coaching staff to want him around. So much so, they prioritized finding a new place for him on the field. Detroit’s coaching staff announced his switch to Cornerback during training camp. 

“We feel pretty good about keeping Will outside right now and just letting him compete out there, knowing that if we ever need him in the back end, he can do that,” Dan Campbell said at training camp.

Best Case Scenario

The best-case scenario for the Lions’ cornerbacks; both players bring the best out of each other through competition. Regardless of who is named the starter, the nickel/rotation DB will be in an important role on this team. 

“May the best man win and let them go after it, and then see what we’ve got,” head coach Dan Campbell said on Monday. 

Click here to learn more about these players and the rest of Detroit’s secondary. 

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