Jeff Okudah has not played an NFL snap yet, but he is already one of the most popular players on the Detroit Lions roster. The cornerback was a star at Ohio State — a university that has produced more elite secondary talent than any other in recent years — and now is set to fill the shoes of Darius Slay in the Motor City after being selected third overall. Okudah is also one of the few Lions currently on the roster with potential to make the Hall of Fame, at least according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell.
Barnwell listed the players who he believes have Hall of Fame potential on each of the 32 NFL rosters in order to commemorate what would have been a week of Hall of Fame ceremonies in Canton this week. Each team, except the Miami Dolphins, has at least one player with at least a 10 percent chance according to Barnwell.
Okudah joins longtime Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford on the list, with each having between a 10 and 39 percent chance of getting in. While both could get there, they both still have a lot to do (obviously, in the case of Okudah, who has not played a game yet).
Slay, now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, joins them in the same tier, as Barnwell also believes the corner has a 10-39% chance of reaching Canton.
- Longtime Detroit sports radio broadcaster Jamie Samuelsen tragically died last weekend after a fight with cancer. Samuelsen was a beloved figure in Detroit sports, and a friend of many in the local and national media sphere. Bob Wojnowski at Freep wrote a tribute to Samuelsen on Monday. Will Burchfield of 97.1 wrote that “Jamie Was The Best Person I Knew In Detroit”. Fox2 Detroit did a tribute as well.
- Big Brain NFL genius Andy Benoit believes that Jarrad Davis adding 20 pounds to his frame this offseason will solve his inability to make a defensive read.
If Jarrad Davis maintains his playing speed now that he weighs 245, he'll be a Top-5 linebacker in 2020.
— Andy Benoit (@Andy_Benoit) August 4, 2020
- NPR interviewed NFL top doctor Alan Sills on how the NFL plans to safely deal with the challenges the coronavirus poses to the upcoming season, and gives a greater explanation for the league’s plans going forward.
- Per PFF Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford was the second best passer in the NFL from a clean pocket before he went down after Week 9.
Passing from a clean pocket is one of the most stable metrics for a QB
— PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) August 5, 2020
Matthew Stafford was among the best last season before his injury when he was kept clean#OnePride pic.twitter.com/Z2oZeklUkR