The Detroit Lions have traded Cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. This is a massive move for both sides, as Detroit frees up some cap space and gets value for a player that would likely be gone next year, and Atlanta gets a low-risk high reward corner for a year. Let’s talk about what this means for both sides in the future.
What The Okudah Trade Means For The Lions
The first thing this allows the Lions to do is to try out various schemes with the new free agents (Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Mosely, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson) by making the starters for this season more clear. With the new signings, Okudah would’ve been a likely depth piece if they were planning on running Gardner-Johnson as the slot corner. While he would’ve been great depth he was constantly injured and extremely inconsistent, plus his contract was up after the season and he likely wouldn’t have been returning after the next season.
This move also frees up five million dollars in cap space which the Lions will likely use to help resign players like Emannuel Mosely and C.J. Gardner-Johnson if they have good seasons next year. Brad Holmes knew it probably wouldn’t have been in their best interest to resign an inconsistent and constantly injured corner, but instead, get something for him at his peak value before he doesn’t have a great year. Plus Brad Holmes has been known to get great talent in the later rounds including, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Malcolm Rodriguez, James Houston, and James Mitchell, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the fifth-rounder becomes a better player than Okudah anyway.
This also gives more context to what the Lions could be doing in the draft, at six they could still be hoping for a guy like Will Anderson to fall and still could maybe be looking at Jalen Carter. However, if neither of those guys is available then Christian Gonzalez or Devon Witherspoon would be an easy pick at six. If they don’t go Corner at six then a player like Joey Porter Jr., Brian Branch, or Deonte Banks is a must at pick 18. With the amount of one-year deals they have in the secondary, the Lions could be looking to maybe even double dip in the secondary at 6 and 18 or 18 and 48.
What The Okudah Trade Means For The Falcons
This is a bit of a weird trade for the Falcons unless they are certain that they will end up extending him at the end of the year. Trading for Okudah is a bit of a toss-up since Okudah is so up and down he will be a “ Boom or Bust” player for them this season. If Okudah actually stays healthy all year and can play more consistently then the Falcons will look like geniuses, but if he doesn’t all they gave up is a fifth. So unless Brad Holmes turns that fifth-rounder into a stud, then the Falcons can’t really lose this trade.
However, this trade does seem a little weird since Okudah is on a one-year deal and the Falcons are in no position to contend right now. So this move shows that the Falcons are wanting to re-sign him whether he plays well or not and think he will be a good part of their future. So while this seems like a Falcon’s fleece on the surface, this is probably the best the Lions would’ve gotten for someone who they weren’t going to bring back anyway, and the Falcons get a high-upside player for fairly cheap.
