INDIANAPOLIS -- Darius Slay is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl season. Jeff Okudah was the best cornerback in college football.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to dream of the possibilities of unleashing that tandem on the same field.

“I think it would be magical,” Okudah said on Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. “I think it would be really tough for that division.”

The Lions defense hasn’t made things tough on the NFC North for years. Now they’re coming off a season where they gave up the most passing yards in the league, intercepted the fewest passes and came within 64 yards of setting the franchise record for defensive futility. Which is why so many people expect Detroit to pass on Tua Tagovailoa in favor of a defensive player in the NFL draft, either with the third overall pick or in a trade back.

Some think Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown could be the target. Others prefer Clemson’s do-everything Isaiah Simmons.

But there isn’t a name that’s been attached to Detroit more than Jeffrey Okudah.

The Ohio State star was the best cornerback in America last season, according to ProFootballFocus, and he did it just how the Lions like 'em at the position. He’s big, he’s physical, and he has a lot of experience playing press man, a skill-set that is requisite for a corner in this system.

On 184 snaps of press coverage, Okudah never allowed a completion longer than 12 yards. On 400 coverage snaps overall, just six resulted in a completion of 15 yards.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that when he was asked about his potential schematic fit with teams picking in the top 10, he went right to Detroit.

“(Matt) Patricia, I know he’s a heavy man-to-man guy,” Okudah said. “Comes from the Patriots, they run a lot of man-to-man. They rely a lot on those man-to-man matchups, let the defensive line get home. So, I’ve been studying a lot of those top groups, trying to figure out -- I mean, I think I’m really cover-versatile, so I’m trying to figure out where the best fit would be.”

The Lions have scheduled a formal interview with Okudah for Saturday in Indianapolis.

In Detroit, Okudah could join Slay as one of the best cornerback tandems in the league. Of course, he could also help replace Slay, who is seeking the largest cornerback contract in the league. Detroit has been reticent to meet those demands and begun shopping him on the trade market.

“We’ve had some conversations with other teams, but nothing to report right now,” general manager Bob Quinn said this week. “I think we’re very much in the information-gathering phase of this. Those conversations from here on out will be private between us, the teams and the representatives for Darius and Darius himself.”

Teams don’t usually express interest in trading players they intend to keep, so while contract negotiations are still underway, there is a growing expectation Slay will play somewhere else next season. But that hasn’t stopped Slay from reaching out to Okudah in a mentorship role, nor has it stopped Okudah from dreaming of playing with a guy he’s watched since high school.

“In high school, college, I’m always watching Darius Slay, trying to emulate the things he does,” Okudah said. "He’s a great player. He plays with great technique and he makes amazing plays. His nickname is Big Play Slay -- how much better does it get than that? Just being able to reach out to him, talk to him, use him as a resource really, I think it shows what kind of guy he is because he doesn’t have to talk to me.”

It’s common for players to show up at the combine talking about the guys they watch and try to emulate, but Okudah showed a more nuanced understanding of his position at the next level. He didn’t just name drop corners, but drew pieces of their game too.

“I like watching how (Richard) Sherman understands route concepts,” Okudah said. “I like watching Patrick Peterson’s consistency in his technique, Jalen Ramsey’s feel for his physicality, his aggressiveness. I like watching Stephon Gilmore switch up his leverage every time.”

Okudah was impressive during his combine interview, exuding the kind of confidence you need to play cornerback at the next level. He’s so confident in his abilities that he intends to participate in all drills at the combine, bucking the trend of top prospects sitting out.

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the presumptive favorite to go first overall, is in Indianapolis but has declined to work out. Same for Ohio State defensive end Chase Young, the favorite to go second overall. And Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa -- a wild card who is expected to go somewhere in the top-five picks -- is sitting out drills while recovering from hip surgery.

But Okudah is here, he’s healthy, and he was adamant about participating in all drills even though he has very little to gain in draft positioning. He went so far as to put Jalen Ramsey and Patrick Peterson’s workout numbers on a white board in his apartment -- and now he wants to beat them.

“Going to the combine has always been a dream,” Okudah said. “So just being here is a dream come true. And I think you go back and watch all these combine videos, for me, I watched Jalen Ramsey’s combine video, Patrick Peterson’s combine video. I want someone down the road say, ‘I want to watch Jeff Okudah’s combine video.”’

Peterson ran a 4.34 40-yard dash, with a 38-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot-6-broad jump. Ramsey’s 40 was slower (4.41), but he had a 41.5-inch vertical and an 11-3 broad jump. Those are lofty numbers.

But Okudah stands a very good chance of beating all of them in another number -- draft positioning. Because he checks all the boxes for Detroit, including need, and he’s going to be atop a very short list for that pick at third overall. And even if the Lions go another direction, it’s difficult to imagine the best cornerback prospect in years slipping much further.