After losing Carlton Davis to the New England Patriots, the Detroit Lions made sure to reinforce their cornerback room by signing veteran D.J. Reed. Reed signed a three-year deal worth $48 million with Detroit. This deal aims to ensure the Lions' secondary remains on the upward trajectory showed this season.
That said, prior to last season, Detroit has been trying to improve its cornerback play for a while. In 2020, they selected cornerback Jeff Okudah with hopes he would become their lockdown cornerback, but he did not. As a result, the Lions moved on from Okudah fairly quickly.
However, it seems the Lions will now have to deal with the 26-year-old corner again, as he has signed with a division rival. According to Adam Schefter, the Minnesota Vikings inked Okudah to a one-year deal on Tuesday. Even though that doesn't seem like a huge problem, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores knows how to get the best out of his players, so Okudah could be in for a great season.
Vikings and CB Jeff Okudah reached agreement today on a one-year contract, per @UniSportsMgmt CEO Kevin Conner. The 26-year-old Okudah had multiple options, but chose to return to the NFC North, this time with the Vikings to play for DC Brian Flores. pic.twitter.com/Kpio0LeWa7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2025
Minnesota Vikings Sign Former Detroit Lions Cornerback Jeff Okudah
The Lions selected Okudah with the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Despite his high selection, Okudah's performance was so bad he didn't finish his rookie contract, only playing three seasons. In three campaigns with Detroit, the 26-year-old recorded 124 tackles, ten pass deflections, two interceptions and one forced fumble.
Furthermore, his coverage grades across three seasons were 30.9 (2020), 53.0 (2021) and 54.4 (2022), according to PFF. Moreover, he had a completion percentage against rates of 77.4, 75.0, and 59.7. Although Okudah missed all but one game in 2021 due to a ruptured Achilles, his play the other two seasons wasn't worthy of keeping him around.
Thus, Detroit traded him to the Atlanta Falcons. In 2023 with Atlanta, Okudah's play did not improve, recording a 46.0 in pass coverage and a completion against percentage of 65.5%. After another disappointing year in Atlants, he landed a backup role with the Houston Texans in 2024.
As a Texan, the former Ohio State Buckeye saw just 78 unimpressive snaps. Given how poorly he has played at the NFL level, there's no reason for Lions fans to fear playing against Okudah. Even so, if Flores finds how to best use him it could be an issue.