The Minnesota Vikings appeared to pass on a clear need at cornerback heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. Byron Murphy Jr. is the only returning starter with significant experience, while Mekhi Blackmon and free-agent addition Isaiah Rodgers, formerly of the Eagles, remain unproven as full-time contributors.
Many draft analysts believed the Vikings would target the position. In fact, cornerback was the second-most popular projection for Minnesota in the first round, appearing in 27% of 656 mock drafts compiled by A to Z’s Tyler Forness.
Despite having chances to draft a corner, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah opted to select Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson with the 24th overall pick. He explained that the decision was based on the team’s current confidence in their defensive backs — including free-agent signing Jeff Okudah, a former top-3 pick by the Lions.
“Okudah is someone we’re eager to see get back on track,” Adofo-Mensah said during an April 30 appearance on KFAN radio. “He’s as talented as anyone drafted in the first or second round this year.”
However, Adofo-Mensah’s faith in Okudah may be overly optimistic given his NFL track record. Since being taken No. 3 overall in 2020 — the first DB selected that high since 1997 — Okudah has struggled with injuries and inconsistency. In his first two years with Detroit, he missed 23 of 33 games due to hamstring, shoulder, and Achilles injuries, including a season-ending Achilles tear in the 2021 opener.
After being traded to the Falcons for a fifth-round pick in the final year of his rookie deal, Okudah spent last season with the Texans, but again landed on injured reserve with a hip injury in Week 1. Over five seasons, he’s played in just 44 of a possible 84 games, recording two interceptions and 14 pass breakups. Now on a one-year, $2.35 million deal, he’s a low-cost gamble with upside — but health remains a major concern.
Adofo-Mensah also acknowledged passing on a sliding first-round cornerback, Michigan’s Will Johnson, who was projected to go No. 13 overall but dropped due to medical flags and his decision not to run the 40-yard dash. The Vikings potentially could have traded back, addressed the offensive line, and still landed Johnson, who fell to No. 47 with the Cardinals.
“Sometimes it comes down to how the board plays out. We want to make a move, but it has to be the right fit,” Adofo-Mensah said. “Scheme, medical, positional needs — it all matters.”
Still, the GM expressed confidence in the current cornerback group, including Rodgers, Blackmon (returning from injury), and Dwight McGlothern, who impressed during preseason action. “We’re excited about that room,”
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