The Minnesota Vikings have spent the start of the new NFL league year plugging up gaps in their roster. It’s a sound strategy for a team that holds a league-low four selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
One of the few thin position groups they have left is cornerback. Bryon Murphy Jr. Re-signed with the team on a new three-year deal, but he’s not a true No. 1 boundary corner. The Vikings still need to add competition on the boundaries for training camp, similar to the roles Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin filled last season. They may have found this year’s pair in Isaiah Rodgers and former No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah.
Minnesota agreed to a one-year deal with Okudah on Tuesday night, taking a flier on a once highly-touted player who bounced around from Detroit, to Atlanta and Houston due to a number of brutal injuries, including a ruptured Achilles in 2021. He played in just six games for the Texans last year due to a hip issue.
The Vikings have signed Jeff Okudah to a 1 year deal according to @AdamSchefter.
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) March 18, 2025
Okudah is only 26 years old and was the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Low risk high reward deal for the Vikings and DC Brian Flores. Pic.twitter.com/w6DDALyDUz
Okudah reportedly prioritized the opportunity to work with Flores and join Minnesota’s stacked roster. He won’t enter training camp as anything more than the Vikings' fourth corner, slotting in behind Murphy, Rodgers and third-year pro Mekhi Blackmon. He should have a chance to compete for reps this summer with Blackmon and the undrafted Dwight McGlothern.
While Okudah’s contract is expected to be extremely team-friendly, the Vikings are among the NFL’s highest spenders in 2025 free agency so far. As a result of their air-tight roster, they’ll have the luxury of either drafting the top player on their board at No. 24 overall, or bolstering their low draft capital by trading back to acquire more picks.
Minnesota’s aggressive approach to free agency hasn’t only strengthened the roster, but has put all options on the table for the NFL Draft. Adding cheap, high-upside players like Okudah in the interim makes a lot of sense, but to keep their current momentum rolling, the Vikings will need to crush their upcoming draft classes, starting this April.
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