The Detroit Lions spent the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah with the thought he would eventually become a Pro Bowl cornerback that stabilizes the entire defense. Instead, he flamed out so spectacularly that he was gone in three seasons.
Okudah, who has a case to be made for the worst draft pick in franchise history, is still trying to convince teams that the player who captivated everyone at Ohio State. However, his year with the Houston Texans in 2024 was quite gnarly on film.
Even after last year, that designation of "former No. 3 overall pick" is powerful enough to convince teams around the league that he can finally turn it around for them. The NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings, despite getting some up-close looks at him, decided that they have what it takes to turn him around.
The Vikings have agreed to terms with Okudah on a one-year contract for the 2025 season after losing multiple starters from last season in free agency. Minnesota may get a crash course in the Okudah experience if he is forced to play a majority of snaps at some point.
Former Lions bust Jeff Okudah signs with division rival Vikings
In Okudah's first two seasons in the league, he played in just 10 games. While it obviously wasn't a decision of his to get hurt, his lack of availability was perhaps the biggest reason that he was unable to evolve into the Pro Bowl player Detroit thought they were getting when they signed him.
Okudah could have proved himself in 2022, but his average 59.4 Pro Football Focus grade speaks to how he was never going to take that leap. He spent the last two seasons with Atlanta and Houston, respectively, but his putrid 30.8 PFF grade last year ranked 217th out of 222 qualified corners.
Okudah, who reportedly chose the Vikings to work with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, could end up seeing some significant snaps in the near future due to a serious lack of depth in the Minnesota secondary. As Lions fans are well aware of, leaning on Okudah could be a recipe for disaster.
Okudah could last as a seldom-used backup in a very specific scheme, but any team that has leaned on him in the past has found themselves burned both literally and figuratively. The Lions should take advantage during their biannual meetings.