Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah Declares for NFL Draft

Another member of the stacked Ohio State Buckeyes squad this season is now moving onto the next level.

On Wednesday afternoon, junior cornerback Jeff Okudah announced he will forgo his eligibility at Ohio State and officially declare to the NFL Draft.

The news doesn't come as a shock. For the better part of the entire 2019 college football season, Okudah was viewed by many experts as a top-five pick in the upcoming draft.

Okudah broke out in his sophomore season, where he led the entire Buckeyes team with eight passes defensed. In his junior year, Okudah improved those numbers and showed the traits of a true shutdown corner.

Through 13 games this season, Okudah recorded 34 tackles, nine passes defensed, three interceptions, and one forced fumble.

Okudah now joins running back JK Dobbins in leaving Columbus for the finer pastures of the NFL. He may not be the only Ohio State defensive star to join him, as Chase Young is projected to be selected second overall at the latest, but the defensive end has yet to make an official decision on his future.

There are plenty of NFL teams in need of an elite defensive back, and Jeff Okudah checks all the boxes. Expect him to be the first cornerback taken off the board in Las Vegas this April.