Jeff Okudah participating—on some level—at Detroit Lions offseason workouts

On Monday, the Detroit Lions had their first offseason workout with their entire team combined. Though workouts have been going on for several weeks now, the Lions rookies had only taken the field for a three-day minicamp over the weekend—without the veterans present. With both vets and rookies present on Monday, it was the first chance for first-year players to work alongside their seasoned teammates. For example, this photo shows Lions 12th overall pick Jameson Williams chatting with quarterback Jared Goff.

But there was also another new face that hadn’t worked alongside his teammates for almost an entire year. The photo gallery from Monday morning’s practice reveals that 2020 first-round cornerback Jeff Okudah was on the field for workouts.

Okudah, of course, suffered a torn Achilles in last year’s season opener, and he’s been documenting his rehabilitation on social media since. He was last seen running at near-full speed while showing good change of direction, indicating he may be ready for full activities soon.

From the photo gallery, it’s unclear what level of participation Okudah is taking at practice. There’s a photo of him laughing, and a couple of photos of him catching the ball—though he doesn’t appear to be on the move while catching it.

It’s likely safe to say that Okudah hasn’t been cleared for full football activities, but he is certainly getting close. Last week, teammate Amani Oruwariye talked about how excited he was to get him back in the building.

“He’s in great spirits, doing this thing, getting back, getting that Achilles and that whole body right, in general,” Oruwariye said. “We’re going to be excited just getting him back in the locker room, his infectious attitude all around the guys. Just keep building.”

We’ll know more for certain when the Lions begin Phase 3 of their offseason workouts. Organized Team Activities, which allow teams to do just about everything on the field without full pads (no live contact), begin next week (May 24) and the media is expected to be able to attend at least one open session.