The third overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft is getting a fresh start.
The Lions have traded cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Falcons for a fifth-round draft pick, according to multiple reports.
That’s not much of a return for a player drafted as highly as Okudah was, but it was clear that the Lions wanted to move on after they bolstered their secondary in free agency.
Okudah is heading into the fourth season on his rookie contract and will make $5.1 million this season, a cap hit the Falcons now inherit. The Falcons will have to decide on picking up his fifth-year option by May 1. Given how much Okudah has struggled to stay healthy, it seems unlikely that they would pick up his option.
Through three NFL seasons, Okudah has played in 25 games and missed 25 games with injuries. When healthy he has shown some of the talent that made him a No. 3 overall pick, but he hasn’t been healthy enough or consistent enough to justify his draft status, and now the Lions are moving on, while the Falcons are hoping that a talented young player can reach his potential in Atlanta.