Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith on Saturday provided what he deemed to be a positive update on the health of cornerback Jeff Okudah.
Okudah was carted off the field on Friday due to an ankle injury. Smith told reporters shortly thereafter that he did not wish to jump to conclusions and would wait for an MRI to be performed on Okudah.
“Very positive news with Jeff,” Smith said after Saturday’s practice. “We have (to) think he has a great chance to be back in the early part of the season. We feel really good for Jeff, all things considered.”
Smith did not divulge an exact timeline or the specific nature of the injury for Okudah, who went down while defending wide receiver Frank Darby during a 1-on-1 drill.
Okudah was the No. 3 overall pick by the Detroit Lions in 2020 out of Ohio State, where he was the first Buckeyes cornerback to earn unanimous All-America honors.
The Lions’ offseason signings of projected starters Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley made Okudah expendable, and Detroit dealt him to Atlanta in April for a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Okudah, 24, is entering the final season of his four-year, $33.5 million rookie contract and will be eligible for free agency after the season.
Okudah played in just 10 games (seven starts) combined in his first two seasons, slowed as a rookie by hamstring and core muscle injuries. He suffered a ruptured Achilles on the first day of the 2021 season.
In 2022, he played in 15 games (all starts) and tallied 73 tackles, seven passes defensed, an interception, a forced fumble and his first NFL touchdown.
–Field Level Media