The Lions cut ties with a first-round pick from the previous regime earlier this month, trading cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Falcons.
General Manager Brad Holmes was asked about the deal during his pre-draft press conference on Thursday and echoed head coach Dan Campbell’s sentiment that it was the best thing for all involved.
“I just think it was the right time,” Holmes said. “I think it was the right time, I think it was good for Jeff. I had a good talk with him after it was done and he totally understood it as well. So, it was great. I really respect what Jeff did. We kind of put him in some adverse moments in training camp last year and just like I told you guys, I really respected how he battled and didn’t bat an eye and won the starting job. We had the conversation of, ‘OK, this didn’t happen now, is there a chance that it could happen a little bit later?’ So I think it was just good for Jeff.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Terry out there in Atlanta. It was a really smooth, efficient process. And it kind of just came up. Again, like I was telling you guys about the [T.J.] Hockenson trade, I wasn’t making a ton of calls. And I wasn’t actively shopping or anything like that. You get the call and sometimes it just lines up and it makes sense for all parties, and it did.”
The No. 3 pick of the 2020 draft, Okudah dealt with several injuries in his first two seasons, playing just 10 games with seven starts. He then started 15 games for Detroit last year, picking up 73 total tackles, seven passes defensed, a forced fumble, and an interception.
The Lions received a 2023 fifth-round pick from the Falcons in exchange for Okudah.