More Than A Blanket
First, in off-man coverage, he does a really nice job of keeping his feet moving at route heads, allowing him to accelerate out of breaks well to limit separation at the head of routes:
It is also worth considering how he holds up as a run defender, as lots of the better coverage players show some vulnerabilities in this regard. While Okudah probably wouldn’t have much of a career as a linebacker, he does a good job of working off blocks:
And is a good tackler from a technical point of view:
Though he could do with keeping his feet and being a bit more physical against head-on ball carriers in order to prevent yards after contact:
While these are all encouraging, one of the biggest questions that teams will have about Okudah is how effective he can be in zone. While he didn’t play a ton of zone coverage at Ohio State, there are hints about how effective he can be in this regard. For a start, the speed he showed to run with receivers in man coverage shows up once again when asked to cover the deep thirds:
And the same ability he shows to react to movement at the head of routes in man also shows up when breaking on the ball in underneath zone:
So having said all this about how he does an awful lot of things well, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the receptions he does allow. Some are on scramble drills where receivers are going to get open eventually against even the best cornerbacks:
With the other area where he, at times, looked a little vulnerable being on comeback and back shoulder throws:
Though, even here, he showed a consistent ability to make these throws as hard as can be, forcing both a highly accurate throw and a good catch by the receiver in order for the reception to be completed:
So the general takeaway from watching Okudah on tape is that he is really very good – he has good speed with great movement skills, he plays with disciplined footwork and uses his hands well in press, while offering enough in run defense to be more than adequate and even flashes some upside in zone. However, as with every prospect, it is also worth considering why he might fall short of reaching his potential in the NFL. As good as Okudah is, there are also some causes for hesitation, if not actual concern.
The Theoretical Negatives
