Detroit Lions mailbag: Why we’re still optimistic about Jeff Okudah

Over the weekend, Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah posted yet another video compilation on social media chronicling the recovery from his Achilles tear. In the latest video, there doesn’t seem to be anything holding Okudah back. He’s running full speed. He’s changing directions on a dime. He doesn’t appear to be favoring one side, or only using a portion of his foot.

In a word, he looks “ready.”

On our latest Spotify Live session—where we answer you Lions’ questions live on the Spotify Live app—one caller had reasonable reservations about Okudah’s upcoming season. He’s obviously coming back from a serious injury that has devastated the careers of players before him. He has also not shown much of anything on Sundays at the NFL level through two seasons.

So why should there be optimism for him in 2022?

Myself, Erik Schlitt, and Ryan Mathews all share a good amount of optimism for the 2020 third overall pick, and on Saturday, we explained all of the reasons why we think Okudah is due for a big jump this year (26:50 mark of the show). Be it his tenacious attitude, what we were able to see during training camp last year, or all of the numerous reasons he was set up to fail under the previous regime, there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful.

Other topics on this week’s show include:

• Our expectations for the Lions’ record within the division (4:10)
• Where the Lions have the biggest roster deficiencies on defense (49:50)
• Best Detroit restaurants/bars to visit for out-of-town fans (19:55)
• Any concerns about Brad Holmes so far? (39:30)
• Predicting Jared Goff’s stat line for 2022 (1:12:30)

You can listen to the entire episode below.

If you want to be a part of next week’s show, be sure to download the Spotify Live app, follow @PrideOfDetroit, and join us—typically Saturdays around 10:30 a.m. ET—when we go live. You can request to be a part of the show, text in our chat room, or just listen live.

Of course, you can catch this podcast—and all of our other podcasts—on demand on any of your favorite platforms: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio.