Jeff Okudah lost his starting job late last season, and after the Detroit Lions added three new starters to their secondary in free agency, the fourth-year cornerback no longer had a firm grip on a roster spot.
So the Lions traded Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday for a fifth-round pick in this month's NFL draft, adding extra capital to their coffers and giving Okudah a fresh start with the team he longed to play for when he left Ohio State three years ago.
Okudah, the No. 3 pick of the 2020 draft, was the highest-drafted cornerback this millennium but never made good on his immense talent in Detroit.