Vikings Star Justin Jefferson Has Strong Take on New Teammate

Justin Jefferson has competed enough against Jeff Okudah to know his strengths, weaknesses and tendencies.

Selected 19 picks apart in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, they faced off plenty as rivals in the NFC North.

Now teammates with the Minnesota Vikings, Jefferson is thankful to have Okudah finally on his side. The All-Pro wide receiver was complimentary of the Vikings’ new cornerback during last week’s mandatory minicamp, calling him “annoying.”

“He’s more of an aggressive corner,” Jefferson said via the Vikings team site. “He has that speed as well, and he has that ability to really playmake and just be an annoying cornerback.

“That’s what I like to call those types of corners, annoying cornerbacks, because they know how to be physical, they know how to get you off your route and not be able to have free access.”

Jeff Okudah’s Career Has Been Marred by Injury

Okudah, 26, signed a one-year, $2.35 million deal with Minnesota in March, spurning multiple other offers to return to the NFC North to play for defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Drafted third overall in 2020 out of Ohio State, Okudah spent his first three seasons with the Detroit Lions. He recorded a career-high 73 tackles and his first pick-six in 2023 but was traded the following offseason to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick.

Okudah inked a one-year, $6 million deal with the Houston Texans in 2024 in hopes of recouping his value but aggravated a hip injury in the season opener and wound up playing only six games.

Okudah, whose career has been mired by injuries, including an Achilles tear in 2021, is now seeking a fresh start in Minnesota.

He joins a cornerback room that includes Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers.

“I think it’s always in a players’ best interest to find a scheme that fits what they do the best,” Okudah said in a video posted by the team. “That’s why I feel like I’ve got a lot of untapped potential. I try to come in every day, put my best foot forward, and demand the best out of myself.”

Justin Jefferson Happy to Have New Teammate

Jefferson and Okudah haven’t met in the regular season since 2022, but they did square off plenty during 7-on-7 reps in OTAs and the mandatory minicamp. There will be several more opportunities during next month’s training camp.

Jefferson, who had 103 catches for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, told reporters that practicing against a cornerback with Okudah’s skillset should benefit him moving forward.

“Now he’s on our side, so we’re good,” Jefferson said via the team.