It’s Not Looking Good for 1 Vikings Defender
Injuries have been an enormous problem for the 2025 Vikings, but the team is slowly healing. Andrew Van Ginkel could return after missing four games, and Blake Cashman has been back for a couple of weeks. There’s a chance the Vikings will only miss center Ryan Kelly from the entire starting unit.
It’s Not Looking Good for 1 Vikings Defender
Among the backups or top rotational players, however, there could be some more absences, including Jeff Okudah. The cornerback suffered his second concussion of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers and has not practiced this week.
With only one practice session remaining in the week, Okudah is clearly trending in the wrong direction, and it would be a mild shock to see him in uniform on Sunday.
The defender had already suffered another concussion earlier this season and was forced to sit out the contest against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. Concussions are always scary, but those worries just exacerbate when it’s the second one in a short period.
Okudah was hired in free agency, and surprisingly, the Vikings thought it was a good idea to hand him the CB3 job behind starters Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. Through the season’s first seven games, it’s time to nominate it as a mistake.
Formerly a third overall pick of the Detroit Lions, the Vikings hoped to unlock some of his potential that had been hidden in the first five seasons of his career for one reason or another. He has now played in six games, logging 14 tackles.
The former Ohio State standout has been used as a rotational player, appearing in only 93 defensive snaps — way fewer than the average CB3 — while the Vikings frequently use three safeties.
In his limited snaps, Okudah has gotten a PFF grade of 32.4. Those grades shouldn’t be taken as gospel, but it’s still one of the worst grades in the NFL, and they match the eye test. He’s also credited with 12 targets, allowing 11 catches for 175 yards and one touchdown, resulting in a passer rating of 146.5, coming close enough to a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
Earlier this month, PurplePTSD‘s Kyle Joudry opined, “Mr. Okudah offers great size and abilities. He has nevertheless fallen short of his potential while operating as the CB3. Seeing the Vikings shift away from the former Lions No. 3 pick wouldn’t hit as too much of a surprise.”
The problem is that the other options on the roster are limited, with last year’s undrafted rookie, Dwight McGlothern, certainly headlining the alternatives. He has barely gotten the reps to prove his worth, but has shown flashes in the preseason. Veteran Fabian Moreau is on the practice squad.
Harrison Smith has also played more recently, with his conditioning improving, which could further increase the usage of the three-safety looks. Jay Ward, the fourth safety on the team, could also earn some extra snaps while Okudah is sidelined, but the Detroit Lions are not quite the right opponent for any experiments.
Don’t expect to see Okudah in uniform on Sunday.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.