Some Negatives To Consider
As mentioned earlier, Okudah didn’t have great ball production in college, and while some of that can be rationalized by his usage, if you are running a defense that uses a lot of zone, this is something that might be a cause for hesitation. This concern is increased by the fact that, at times, he does look a little passive in zone, and while this isn’t something that is significant enough on tape to be seen as an active weakness, there were a number of plays on tape such as the following where he appears somewhat hesitant to react to what is in front of him in zone:
There were also some times in off-zone coverage where his footwork looked far less smooth than it does in man, getting a little flat-footed at the top of his drops:
Or leaning a little in his backpedal making it harder for him to break on the ball:
Okudah is clearly more developed in man coverage at this point than he is in zone, and teams that draft him asking him to play a lot of zone would be wise to work out what is inexperience, what is technique and what is understanding of what his role is in the coverage and the ability to process this in real time. Okudah has all the core skills to be a really good zone defender, but at this point, he could certainly do with some more practice – if nothing else.
The final concern with Okudah on tape is that in press, when he isn’t able to direct the snap with initial contact, he can look a little choppy and better route runners will be able to exploit this:
Okudah is one of the best cover corners to come out in recent years, and while his short term value is likely to vary somewhat with scheme, he shows all the core movement skills and technique to be one of the very best cornerbacks in the NFL. Teams that play a lot of zone – which might or might not include the Panthers under Phil Snow – should want to probe him more in interviews than those that are content to simply stick him on the opponent’s top receiver every week; but what he already does well is so valuable that all but the most zone-heavy teams should see him as a serious asset, even if he never becomes the zone defender that his physical skills suggest he can be.
Best-Case NFL Comparison: Stephon Gilmore
