Ohio State defensive back prospect Jeff Okudah will be a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night. In fact, he could go top five, if not top three.
He will be the tenth Ohio State cornerback taken in the first round in the last 20 years. No other school has more than five.
Continuing that legacy no doubt impacted Okudah’s decision to be a Buckeye.
“Definitely,” Okudah said on The DA Show. “When I came to Ohio State, just hearing about the other corners – Marshon [Lattimore], Gareon [Conley] – it was something that I wanted to really be a part of. I think just working toward a goal and seeing how far it can manifest, it’s been crazy.”
Many draft experts have Okudah landing with the Lions. While Okudah would love to match up with former Ohio State standout Michael Thomas, there’s an NFC North receiver he wants to tango with as well.
“I like Davante Adams’ game a lot, too,” Okudah said. “Coach [Jeff] Hafley told me he had some of the best releases in the NFL, if not the best. So I’d like to take that as a challenge and just see where we match up.”
Sadly, Okudah’s mother passed away in 2017 after a long battle with lymphoma. Okudah wears a bracelet on his wrist to keep her memory alive and tries to honor her with his play.
He’s curious to see what his emotions will be Thursday night.
“I feel like once you’re in the moment, the emotions might just overwhelm you and tears might just start flowing down,” he said. “I’m kind of nervous to see what the emotion is when I get that call.”