The Detroit Lions notably selected former Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft with the newly-minted Las Vegas Raiders going with another Buckeyes defensive back in Damon Arnette at No. 19 overall.
However, if you ask Raiders general manager Mike Mayock just how much he likes Arnette, his answer might surprise you as his former collegiate teammate in Okudah was widely considered to be the best cornerback in this year's NFL Draft class.
“I liked Arnette as much as [Jeff] Okudah, Mayock recently explained during an interview with SiriusXM Radio, general manager Mike Mayoc If you look at the production, Arnette’s got more production. He played last year hurt with a broken right wrist. I think he is the best tackler in this draft. I think he is an old-school bump-and-run Raiders cornerback that’s physical and nasty.”
Although many pundits and experts certainly liked Arnette's talent coming out of the heralded Ohio State, not many had him ultimately coming off the board in the first round, let alone inside the top 20. Nonetheless, the Raiders had multiple first-round picks while it was widely speculated that the AFC West franchise would utilize at least one of those picks to select a standout defensive back.
It is worth noting, though, that the Raiders will need to compete with former league MVP Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs moving forward, so solidifying the Las Vegas defense isn't the worst idea in the world.
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