Hype Train Is Rolling for One Vikings Newcomer
When the Minnesota Vikings arrived at the 2025 offseason, most fans expected the club to make a splash at cornerback, possibly signing a free agent like D.J. Reed or drafting a corner like Will Johnson or Benjamin Morrison.
One Vikings defender is turning heads at training camp. The former 1st-Rounder is drawing rave reviews as momentum builds around his performance and possible reclamation.
Instead, Minnesota re-signed Pro Bowler Byron Murphy Jr. to a handsome extension while onboarding Isaiah Rodgers from the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and Jeff Okudah, the former third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
It became apparent early in the offseason that the Vikings had big plans for Rodgers, who they considered an untapped gem. But more mystery surrounded Okudah, whose career has disappointed various fan bases to date.
Still, the summer hype train has choo-chooed for Okudah, so much so that he’s just a presumptive starter now.
The Hype Train for Jeff Okudah Is Here
The veteran cornerback hopes to turn the corner in Minnesota.
Hype Is Sky High for Jeff Okudah
Examples of the Okudah hype are prevalent. Consult social media.
FantasyLife‘s Thor Nystrom tweeted this week, “Brian Flores is gonna reinvigorate Jeff Okudah’s career, isn’t he?”
Our own Ted Schwerzler wrote this month, “The Vikings don’t need another cornerback if Jeff Okudah is that guy, and he’s generating tons of hype in Eagan.”
Justin Jefferson said about Okudah in June, “He has that speed … and he has that ability to really play-make and just be an annoying cornerback. That’s what I like to call those types of corners, ‘annoying cornerbacks,’ because they know how to be physical. They know how to get you off your route and not be able to have free access.”
And aggregator The Purple Persuasion tweeted Tuesday, “Brian Flores unlocking THIS Jeff Okudah in 2025 will be one of the key reasons for their success. Having Okudah to bully the opposing WR1 will give the pass rush that extra split second to get after the QB creating even more havoc. I’m here for it.”
It’s like the formerly annual Irv Smith Jr. rigmarole — but supersized.
Waiting for a Breakout … 6 Seasons into It
The Detroit Lions spent the third overall pick on Okudah in 2020, and he has never, ever taken off in the big leagues. He’s never come close.
Here’s his Pro Football Focus resume to date:
- 2024: 31.0
- 2023: 50.5
- 2022: 59.4
- 2021: 53.0
- 2020: 42.5
Those are horrid grades for a player drafted so high, especially last year.
Therefore, the hype train merely assumes that the previous five seasons were mistakes and outliers or unfortunately prolonged accidents.
Trending as a Starter
Why is the hype palpable? It’s pretty simple. Okudah has run with first-teamers throughout training camp, and when the Vikings released the first depth chart of 2025, Okudah was listed as the CB3. Before the summer, most wondered what role he would fill or if Okudah would make the 53-man roster at all.
Now, with the preseason afoot, that answer is yes, and folks should fully expect a starter’s workload for the 26-year-0ld.
The Brian Flores Endorsement
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores said about Okudah last month: “In his time here, he’s been as diligent from on the field, off the field, training room, weight room. He’s always looking to do extra film work. I don’t know what’s happened in other buildings.”
“I know that since he’s been here, it’s been great to coach him. I think he’s getting better, I think he’s getting more comfortable within the defense and what we’re gonna ask him to do. And he’s shown up positively, really in every way. I’m excited to watch him continue to improve. I think he’s got a lot of skill.”
And the working theory is that Flores handpicked Okudah, along with the aforementioned Rodgers, for his 2025 defense.
If it’s good enough for Flores, well, the experiment might just work — is the mindset.
More on Okudah
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis profiled Okudah this week, another sign the hype train is in full effect.
He wrote, “An ankle injury in training camp sidelined him to open the 2023 season in Atlanta. Last year with the Texans, he aggravated his hip in Week 1 and missed the next nine games.”
“A concussion ended his season in Week 17 and had him knocking on the door of leaving the game entirely. So why didn’t he? Why is he still doing this? What is it that convinced him this time could be different?”
The 2025 campaign is probably Okudah’s last best chance to achieve staying power as a starter in the NFL.
Lewis added, “The answers to those questions are as much about the Vikings’ views of him as they are about his goals for this fall. Okudah is going to have to stay healthy for this story to have a spectacular finish. He’s going to have to continue to marinate in a defense as complex as any in the league.”
“If Minnesota has made anything clear to him thus far, it’s that none of this will have to happen alone. Last week, he walked off the field alongside Flores. They were talking specifics: techniques, fundamentals, concepts. The nitty gritty of the game he still very much loves.”
Okudah and the Vikings begin the preseason in two days, hosting the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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