Vikings Sign Once-Electrifying Defender
It’s official. The third overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft is a Minnesota Viking.
Vikings Sign Once-Electrifying Defender
Minnesota hosted cornerback Jeff Okudah on Monday for a free-agent visit and closed the deal a day later.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis tweeted, “The Vikings have agreed to terms with CB Jeff Okudah. Adds another young, physical corner to young and hungry group. Competition will be very fun. Can’t get out of my mind Okudah v Jefferson game in 2022. Okudah had help all day but was so physical.”
The 26-year-old Texas native will now vie for meaningful playing time in the 2025 regular season.
The Jeff Okudah Resume
If Okudah sounds familiar, well, it’s for good reason. The Detroit Lions — back when they were awful — selected him with the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. It was the same day that Minnesota yanked Justin Jefferson out of the event from LSU after the Philadelphia Eagles notoriously passed on Jefferson for Jalen Reagor, who is, too, now a former Viking.
But Okudah’s career has never taken off — at all.
Here’s his Pro Football Focus resume to date:
- 2024: 31.0
- 2023: 50.5
- 2022: 59.4
- 2021: 53.0
- 2020: 42.5
And Okudah’s NFL resume since 2020:
- Detroit Lions (2020–2022)
- Atlanta Falcons (2023)
- Houston Texans (2024)
The man’s pass coverage is especially woeful. He’s never topped a 55.0 grade per PFF in the metric.
Vikings fans will spend the next five months hoping a geographical cure will do the body good for Okudah.
The 2025 Purple CB Room
So far this offseason, Minnesota has re-upped with Pro Bowl corner Byron Murphy Jr., added Isaiah Rodgers, and welcomed a few role-player defensive backs who will compete for roster spots at training camp and in the preseason.
This is Minnesota’s new look CB group, with newcomers in bold:
CB1: Byron Murphy Jr.
CB2: Mekhi Blackmon
CB3: Isaiah Rodgers
CB4: Jeff Okudah
CB5: Dwight McGlothern
CB6: Tavierre Thomas
CB7: NaJee Thompson
CB8: Nahshon Wright
CB9: Ambry Thomas
CB10: Reddy Steward
CB11: Kahlef Hailassie
Other free agents like Mike Hilton, Asante Samuel Jr., and Rasul Douglas remain available on the open market as of March 18th, but the Okudah signing might rule out additional newcomers in Minnesota.
The Defense, On the Whole
Okudah will battle for a roster spot this summer unless the Vikings already see something special in him from afar. For now, Murphy Jr., Blackmon, and Rodgers are on deck to command the most snaps on Sunday, with another player — possibly Okudah — as a dark horse to the plan.
Minnesota’s defense ranked second per DVOA in 2024 under Brian Flores and improved tremendously from the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. With 2024 free-agent newcomers Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Van Ginkel, and Blake Cashman, the Vikings’ defense became a formidable unit and will look to get even better in 2025 with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, two new defensive tackles, in the mix.
Adding Okudah also fits with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s modus operandi. The man loves former high-round draft picks that haven’t worked out — Jalen Reagor (mentioned above) and Ross Blacklock are examples. Neither worked out in Minnesota.
Draft Not Ruled Out
The Vikings have notably signed Ryan Kelly (C), Will Fries (G), Jonathan Allen (DT), Javon Hargrave (DT), and Isaiah Rodgers (CB) in free agency in addition to re-upping with Aaron Jones (RB), Byron Murphy Jr. (CB), Theo Jackson (S), and Harrison Smith (S).
And that’s all before the draft. At cornerback, Minnesota could also draft one, too, in five weeks. Rookies like Trey Amos (Ole Miss), Jahdae Barron (Texas), Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky), Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame), Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina), and Azareye’h Thomas (Florida State) should be available in April’s draft.
Okudah is known for his physicality, which should fit Flores’ defense.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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