Did the Giants miss an opportunity to trade for Jeff Okudah?

Former Lions cornerback headed to the Falcons for a fifth-round pick

Did the New York Giants miss an opportunity to add a piece to their secondary?

On Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the Detroit Lions had shipped cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a fifth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Okudah, who was selected third in the 2020 NFL Draft after a standout career at Ohio State, has struggled to live up to the hype thus far in his NFL career, routinely being hampered by injuries despite flashing promise when he’s able to remain healthy. Okudah set a career-high in games played in 2022 with 15 — as opposed to a combined 10 throughout his first two seasons — and notched seven passes defended, one forced fumble, one interception, and his first career touchdown.

Having paid just a fifth-round pick to obtain Okudah, it’s easy to wonder if the Giants could have swung that deal themselves, currently holding two fifth-round picks (Nos. 160 and 172) in the upcoming draft. For a team that has made the cornerback position an area of focus heading into the draft, Okudah could have presented an opportunity to add a young, high-potential cornerback to the secondary and team with the likes of safeties Xavier McKinney and Bobby McCain and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson.

While it remains to be seen what New York will do on draft night, the addition of a cornerback seems inevitable.

Is Okudah a player you would have given up a fifth-round pick for, Giants fans?