NFL: Which member of the Detroit Lions 2020 draft class has been called, "the most disappointing first-round pick in the 2020 draft"?
The Detroit Lions' 2020 was a year to forget. The team closed out the season with four successive defeats, finished bottom of the NFC North, and ended the season without head coach Matt Patricia or general manager Bob Quinn, who were both fired in November.
In the wake of the Lions' disastrous campaign, Franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford ditched Detroit for Los Angeles. He'll be in a Rams' uniform next season.
The Stafford trade saw Jared Goff traded in the opposite direction and he will be the man under center for the Lions next year.
One player who Goff potentially won't be able to rely on next season is Kenny Golladay. The Lions' best receiver is out of contract and could be set for free agency.
A group of players that Goff will be working with next season is the sophomore draft class of 2020, the likes of Jeff Okudah and D'Andre Swift.
Gennaro Filice of NFL.com just ranked this draft class 29th out of the 32 teams in the league, and had a scathing remark for one member, in particular, stating that he was "the most disappointing first-round pick in the 2020 draft."
Let's take a look at the lowly-ranked Lions' draft class of 2020:
Cornerback, Jeff Okudah (First Round, 3rd overall pick)
It was Jeff Okudah that Gennaro Filice was lambasting in his NFL.com article, stating:
“The last draft class of the Bob Quinn era did nothing in Year 1 to depress Detroit’s thriving “Rebuilding Since 1957″ merch market. Given his Ohio State corner pedigree and lofty draft slot, Okudah had to be the most disappointing first-round pick in the 2020 draft.”
...and for good reason: the Lions wagered a first-round (3rd overall) pick on the Ohio State product and Okudah did little to justify it last year.
True, it's not easy for a rookie to come in and replace a 3x Pro-Bowler in Darius Slay (now of the Philadelphia Eagles), but Okudah didn't even come close and struggled with both injury and inconsistency during the season, starting just six of nine games. When he did play, Okudah seemed to struggle with the speed and physicality of the game at the elite level, allowing a pass rating of 118.0 when targeted, according to PFF.
To be fair to Okudah, cornerback is one of the hardest positions to play in the NFL. It's normal for a rookie CB to endure a baptism of fire as savvy opposition coaches put their best players on them and try to catch them out of position.
It's certainly easy to be made to look bad as a rookie in coverage. Not to mention the fact that Okudah didn't get to have any preseason games. He's likely to have a much better second year.
Running Back, D'Andre Swift (Round 2, 35th overall pick)
The Lions opted to select running back D'Andre Swift with their 2nd pick in round 2 of last year's draft.
Swift flattered to deceive last year: 878-yards from scrimmage and 8 touchdowns is a fair return for a rookie back. However, after fumbling in two of the Lions' first three games, Swift went on to start just four games in 2020. Matt Patricia seemed to favor the safer hands of newly-signed veteran running back Adrian Peterson.
Personally, I thought Swift showed a lot of promise overall and -- if he cuts out the fumbles -- could still become an elite dual threat in the backfield. Keep an eye on him in 2021.
Defensive end, Julian Okwara, and guard, Jonah Jackson (Third Round Picks)
Defensive end Julian Okwara only featured in six games for the Lions due to a leg injury. In fact, he was only out on the turf for 50 snaps all year, so it's hard to be too critical of the Notre Dame graduate. Let's wait and see how he responds in 2021.
As for Detroits' other third-round pick, guard, Jonah Jackson started 16 games for the Lions but received a disappointing 57.0 PFF grade. The former Ohio State Buckeye allowed five sacks on Stafford and gave away five penalties. Jackson needs to take some major steps during the offseason if he is to retain his stay of residence in the Pride's offensive line.
Did the Detroit Lions 2020 draft class deserve such a low ranking?
The short answer to that question is yes, the Lions draft class of 2020 -- on the whole -- was nothing to write home about. Jeff Okudah as the number 3 overall pick seems a real stretch in hindsight: Okudah didn't even make PFF's top 25 rookies of the year. D'Andre Swift was probably the pick of the bunch, but there's a lot of good running-backs out there; the Lions didn't need to blow a second-round pick on him. Is Swift going to be the next Christian McCaffrey? Can he carry the Lions back to the top? Not until he learns to take better care of the football. Then there was Okwara who barely even featured last season, and Jackson who featured heavily but failed to impress.
Personally, I think the 2020 draft ranking of 27th out of 32 is about right for the Lions. Especially when you consider they took two of the top 35 players on the board, and took two players in the 3rd round: the Lions had a strong hand and should have done much better with their picks.
Jared Goff will be hoping to see some serious reinforcements clad in Detroit's blue before the end of this coming NFL draft and free agency period. Especially if Golladay is on the move; otherwise it could be another rough ride for Detroit fans.
Can the Lions bounce back with some good business in the offseason? have your say in the comments section below?