On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms with Jeff Okudah. The former first-round cornerback, who the Detroit Lions took third-overall in 2020, visited with the Vikings on Monday. While other teams were interested, he decided to return to the NFC North, now in purple and gold.

Okudah’s signing is low-risk, high-reward, given how they’ve constructed their defensive back unit.

Plagued by injuries since entering the league, Okudah had abdominal surgery and a ruptured Achilles in his first two seasons with Detroit. The Lions later traded him to the Atlanta Falcons, where he played one season before they traded him to the Houston Texans. He only played six games in Houston due to a season-long hip injury.

Minnesota is Okudah’s fourth team despite him being only 26 years old. He’s getting a fresh start on a squad deeper at cornerback after re-signing Byron Murphy and adding Isaiah Rodgers in free agency. Therefore, Okudah has an opportunity to prove he’s capable of becoming a coveted defensive back again without entering a pressure-filled situation. Brian Flores must see something he can work with. If Okudah manages to stay healthy, we may see him in a different light by the end of the season.

The Okudah signing is not a one-size-fits-all fix to arguably the weakest position group on the team, but it helps that the Vikings have an impressive front seven. In today’s NFL, only a few secondaries are above average.

It has become a dependent position group on whether the front seven can generate enough disruption to buy the secondary time, space, and opportunity. The Vikings have the formula for this pressure-and-hold style of play with premiere edge rushers and the addition of defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

Okudah (6’1”, 205 lbs.) brings good size to the position, and his skills in man coverage are a part of the reason for his high-end draft profile. Okudah was healthiest with Atlanta in 2023 when he logged 15 starts. Halfway through that season, opposing quarterbacks had only a 46.9 passer rating when targeting him in man coverage.

If we’ve learned anything about Flores, he gets the most out of his players, and Okudah fits the mold with what the Vikings like to do with nickel and cover zero packages. Bump-and-run coverage shouldn’t be an issue for Okudah. However, he can get lost at the top of routes. His shakiness on corner and deeper post routes can lead to big plays for the opposing offense.

Signing Okudah also lightens the burden of Minnesota’s first-round pick this year. Considering how the Vikings have set up their roster by filling in positional needs through free agency, they will likely look to grab the best defensive back available at the 24th-overall pick. They already had Murphy, Rodgers, and Mekhi Blackmon. So pairing Okudah with a top rookie prospect like Jahdae Barron or Benjamin Morrison could make for an extremely youthful cornerback room, but one with adequate experience.

It’s time for Jeff Okudah to become the blue-chip player he can be. The opportunity is clear, and the Vikings are slowly developing a solid plan for the position.