Jeff Okudah is set to play for a fourth career team in 2025. The former third overall pick has agreed to a one-year deal with the Vikings, per his agent (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
Okudah had other options on the table, per Schefter, but this move will allow him to return to the NFC North after starting his career with the Lions. The 26-year-old visited the Vikings yesterday, so this news comes as little surprise. Okudah will now look to compete for a depth role on defense with Minnesota.
Expectations were high for the Ohio State product upon entering the NFL. Things did not go according to plan for much of his Lions tenure, however, with injuries limiting him to only 10 games across his first two seasons. Okudah managed to suit up for 15 contests in 2022, but during the subsequent offseason he was traded to the Falcons. Playing out the final year of his rookie contract, he made nine Atlanta starts.
During his first foray into free agency, Okudah took a one-year with the Texans worth $4.75MM. The Grand Prairie, Texas, native suffered an injury in Week 1 and spent much of the campaign on injured reserve as a result. Okudah was thus limited to just six games for Houston, a team which has newly-extended Derek Stingley Jr. and 2024 second-rounder Kamari Lassiter atop the CB depth chart. It comes as no surprise Okudah is on the move once more, again taking a one-year pact in the process.
The secondary was a key talking point for the Vikings in the lead-in to free agency. Byron Murphy was on track to be on the of the top corners to reach the market, but he wound up re-signing on a three-year, $54MM pact. That contract (which can max out at $66MM via incentives) will keep Murphy in place as Minnesota’s top cover man, and the team has also added Isaiah Rodgers on a two-year deal. Tavierre Thomas – who has starting experience but also a long track record of special teams contributions – is in the fold as well.
Meanwhile, the likes of Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin and Fabian Moreau are all free agents at this point. The Vikings could retain one or more of those veterans, and doing so would add further to Okudah’s competition for a 2025 roster spot.
What a bust this guy ended up being
injuries will do that, hopefully he can stay healthy and revive his career a bit.
Very lackluster athlete he was drafted in the same vein as a Stingley or sauce but hasn’t done anything much hence his fourth team in already 6 years
I don’t believe that to be true at all regarding him being a ‘very lackluster athlete’.
link to nfl.com
link to ras.football
The injuries have certainly diminished his athleticism, but lets no rewrite history to pretend he wasn’t a high level player and solid athlete coming into the league.
I implied after entering the league and yes he has been a very lackluster performer mostly due to injuries which is unfortunate
That I will agree with, my fault for taking your post wrong!
High level player?? What are you on?
Did you watch him in college at all? It seems like you didn’t.
Maybe in college but nfl he’s a bust. It happens. lol look at Kyle Pitts. Trey Lance. Jalen Raegor. Scouts aren’t perfect lol
We can agree to disagree here as I think the situations are different for each player. To me, I don’t consider a guy a bust due to injury issues but i can understand the position. I think it is common to consider a guy a bust regardless of the reasons if they didn’t perform up to their draft level. I don’t at all consider Kyle Pitts a bust and I am sure you wont agree with me there, but he had a 1000 yard season as a 21 year old rookie tight end.
And he hasn’t done much since then. But I do agree context matters. Injuries in of itself don’t make a talented player a bust but for a top 3 generational CB to be on his fourth team in 6 years says a lot.
Pitts had a thousand yard season as a rookie.
And then what else since then? Lmao I’ll wait
Lmao almost like prioritizing first round WRs and not having a legit QB most years limits a guy’s opportunities huh
The scouts sure did over rate this guy going into the ‘20 draft
lol that isn’t really possible to say…he got injured, the scouts cannot predict who gets hurt/how often/how badly…we have no idea who Okudah could have been had he stayed healthy in his first couple years in the league…this isn’t an issue of scouting or being a bust, it’s just football and injuries can derail careers.
He was a shutdown corner on a very good college team who ran a 4.4 40.
Ridiculous use of the word bust.
Wonder if Flores will give him reps at safety.
So much potential but he can’t stay healthy.
To illustrate how bad of a GM Bob Quinn was for the Lions he drafted Okudah 3rd overall when he could have drafted Justin Hebert or Tua to as Staffords replacement and/or traded down. But this idiot, who thought he was the smartest GM in football history showed his cards way too early in the process and screwed the Lions. At least Sheila Ford Hamp saw enough of his act and threw the bum out on his ass, deservedly so!
Fortunately she brought in Brad Holmes & Dan Campbell who have turned the ship around, but Quinn should never be allowed near any NFL FO ever again.
Dude Okudah looked every bit the part of a shutdown corner. That’s worth a high pick.
He would’ve anchored that defensive backfield for years.