Jeff Okudah – 2021 Dynasty IDP #4 Cornerback
#23 Jeff Okudah, DET
bio:
Dynasty IDP Jeff Okudah is IDPE’s #4 dynasty Cornerback in 2021. DET Cornerback (CB) drafted in the 1st round (#3 overall) out of Ohio State in the 2020 draft. Unanimous All-American in 2019.
attributes:
A physical, playmaking 2nd-year cornerback, he has good size and elite athleticism. Okudah has a high-end College Prospect Score (CPS).
| Age* | Height | Weight | 40 | CPS |
| 22.6 | 6’1″ | 205 | 4.48 | 7.9 |
player grades:
Okudah graded out as the #115 cornerback out of 121 qualified players in 2020, per PFF.com. He was a rookie, so the low grades are not uncommon, though he was noticeably poor in coverage. Typically, you prefer average to below-average coverage grades and strong run defense grades for fantasy CB.
| Year | Overall | Run Defense | Coverage |
| 2020 | 42.5 | 86.2 | 30.9 |
injury:
Missed seven total games in 2020 due to hamstring, shoulder and groin strains before landing on injured reserve after Week 11.
tackles:
Okudah was on pace to break 90 combined tackles in his rookie year (adjusted for games missed), most of which were of the more valuable SOLO tackle variety. Therefore, he appears to have a high, if not elite floor in fantasy based on limited sample size.
| Year | SOLO | AST | COMBINED | A4GM* |
| 2020 | 41 | 6 | 47 | 94 |
big plays:
He did not fill out the big play stat sheet in his rookie year. This limits his upside in fantasy, but he only played in 9 games last year due to injury, so we will hope for a step forward in 2021.
| Year | SACK | STF | INT | PD | FF | FR |
| 2020 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
contract:
Okudah is still on his rookie deal. DET has a 5th-year option available, so he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
summary:
Dynasty IDP Jeff Okudah struggled in coverage as a rookie. Targeting CBs that struggle in coverage is a sound strategy in fantasy because opposing QBs will want to test them. Typically, you are riding a fine line by owning CBs that struggle in coverage as they could lose their starting job but they tend to be more valuable in fantasy. In this case, Okudah’s youth and draft capital ensure that DET will give him a long rope in his development.
His film shows a playmaker and willing tackler, but the sample size is small. If he is targeted as much in 2021 as I am expecting, he has mouthwatering upside in this scenario. Expect him to compete for the CB #1 in 2021 and dynasty.
