The Vikings Are Taking a Big Gamble on One Former Top Pick
The Minnesota Vikings have placed a lot of faith in free agents with varying levels of injury concerns. The additions in the trenches on both sides of the ball have missed time, and that means the training staff had better be ready to keep them on the field. Jeff Okudah has been less of an injury concern and more of one just on the talent side of things.
Former first-round pick Jeff Okudah is in line for a starting role with the Minnesota Vikings, but would they be wise to operate that way?
Drafted third overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2020 Draft, Okudah lasted only three seasons with the Motor City Kitties. He went to Atlanta for a year and spent last season with the Houston Texans. He played in only six games last year and didn’t earn a single start.
It seems like the Minnesota Vikings are content to run him out as a starter alongside Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. Maybe they feel like Brian Flores has the ability to unlock something three other franchises have not. If that’s the case, though, they better be right.
Will the Jeff Okudah Acquisition Pay Off for the Vikings?
There is still plenty to be desired at the cornerback position for the Vikings. Last season, it was Murphy Jr. joined by both Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin. The former is an aging and unsigned free agent, while the latter went back to the Seattle Seahawks. It seems unlikely that the Vikings would go into the season with the questions the room currently warrants, but they must believe the answer is Okudah.
Beyond the top cornerbacks, the Vikings have Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern as next men up. The former missed all of last season after tearing his ACL. He has shown flashes of being a capable starter or rotational option at times, but that obviously takes a hit when you miss a full season with an injury.
McGlothern was an undrafted free agent who drew rave reviews during training camp last year. It didn’t translate to much opportunity as a rookie, but there is size and projectability to suggest that he could be something of an asset in the future.
Ultimately, it may be a situation like Gilmore’s last season, where the Vikings add another veteran just before the season starts. If they don’t, though, Flores, Kevin O’Connell, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had better be right on the former third overall pick, or it could be a position group that sinks the entirety of their season.
You must be logged in to post a comment.