Rookie wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and second-year cornerback Jeff Okudah matched up for an anticipated one-on-one tackling drill in Friday’s practice, as the Detroit Lions returned to full pads at the Allen Park facility.
Okudah prepared to make a tackle, but St. Brown hurdled him. To celebrate, St. Brown punted the ball and emulated the chalk toss made famous by NBA great LeBron James.
“You love the competitiveness, the will to be better,” St. Brown said Thursday. “We all want to be better out there, so you love that on the team.”
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This isn’t the first time they’ve clashed in camp.
On Wednesday, St. Brown and Okudah dueled numerous times in a passing drill. When Okudah won the battle, St. Brown asked for a rematch. And when St. Brown got his revenge, Okudah was quick to request another round.
“He had a pretty good play on me on a slant,” St. Brown said. “I told him I wanted to go against him again. I cut the line and went again, and then I caught a ball. He called me out, so I just cut the line again, and I went again. That’s kind of how it went down.”
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Okudah, the No. 3 overall pick in 2020, had an underwhelming start to his career and is trying to make a good impression on a new coaching staff. He has already drawn praise from fellow cornerback Amani Oruwariye for looking like a “totally different player” in Year 2.
Likewise, St. Brown is trying to prove his value.
He was drafted in the fourth round in 2021 out of USC, after catching 41 passes for 478 yards and seven touchdowns over six games as a junior in 2020.
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During Friday’s practice, there were a few other noteworthy moments involving Okudah, who only played nine games, with one interception, last year. (He underwent groin surgery in December 2020.) St. Brown and Breshad Perriman beat him early on in one-on-one drills, but Okudah responded by locking down St. Brown a few reps later.
“Jeff is an amazing corner,” St. Brown said. “He’s been balling all camp. For me, it was just a challenge. I wanted to go against one of our top corners. He challenges me, and I love it. We challenge each other. It’s awesome to have a corner like that on your team that you can go against every day, compete and make yourself better.”
Expect more battles between Okudah and St. Brown as camp continues.
Some other observations from Friday’s practice:
• During the early warmups, cornerback Quinton Dunbar and defensive tackle Nick Williams were not on the field. Defensive end Michael Brockers, defensive tackle John Penisini, linebacker Derrick Barnes, cornerback Alex Brown, and offensive guard Tyrell Crosby (Grade 1 hamstring strain) showed up but did not suit up in full pads.
• Running back D’Andre Swift, dealing with a tight groin, participated in full pads, as did defensive end Levi Onwuzurike. The coaching staff has Swift working under strict load management. Onwuzurike was a second-round pick in 2021.
• Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin took to the field in a mask and hung out with his position group, but he did not participate in drills. He has been on the COVID-19 reserve list, so his appearance at practice seems to indicate a full return soon.
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• On a deep pass from quarterback Jared Goff, cornerback Corn Elder jumped into the air to defend wide receiver Perriman. Perriman came down with the ball, and Elder immediately grabbed at his left hamstring. He limped off the field and did not return.
• Goff made his best throw on third down during a live scrimmage, connecting with tight end T.J. Hockenson. Defenders surrounded Hockenson, but he created enough separation for Goff to fire the ball to him in traffic for a complete pass and first down. The catch ignited cheers and “Let’s go, Lions” chants from the fans in attendance. The drive ended, however, when cornerback AJ Parker broke up a third-down pass to St. Brown.
• Safety Tracy Walker sat near the video board to evaluate his performance on a passing route. He studied a particular play-action pass from Goff, which was overthrown to receiver Kalif Raymond. Still, Raymond freed himself from Walker and another defensive back. A better throw would have allowed Raymond to score easily.
Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.