JUST IN: Jefferson has had a few battles with Jeff Okudah over the past five years, and the two are now teammates. Minnesota Vikings made a tough decision for who to stay and who should depart

 

Justin Jefferson is very familiar with Jeff Okudah’s tough, physical style of play—he’s experienced it firsthand several times.

In the 2020 NFL Draft, Okudah was a highly touted Ohio State cornerback taken third overall by the Detroit Lions. Jefferson, coming out of LSU with some question marks, went 22 picks later to the Vikings. Their careers have taken very different paths—Jefferson has emerged as a superstar and possible future Hall of Famer, while Okudah is now on his fourth team in as many years. Still, despite the ups and downs in Okudah’s career, he’s made his presence felt whenever he’s lined up across from Jefferson.

Their first matchup came as rookies before Okudah’s season was cut short by injury. He missed nearly all of 2021 as well. In 2022, they met twice, during Jefferson’s Offensive Player of the Year campaign. Okudah and the Lions defense held Jefferson to just 3 catches for 14 yards in the first meeting—a strong showing, though Okudah had help. Jefferson responded in the rematch by exploding for 11 receptions and a career-best 223 yards.

They didn’t face each other in 2023, as Jefferson was sidelined with the only major injury of his career when Okudah, by then with the Falcons, played against Minnesota.

“He’s a physical guy,” Jefferson said at Vikings minicamp last week. “He’s fast, he can make plays, and he’s one of those corners who can throw off your timing. I call corners like that ‘annoying’—in a good way—because they make it hard for you to run clean routes.”

Jefferson’s use of “annoying” is complimentary. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Okudah is known for using his size to disrupt receivers early in their routes.

After a stint with the Falcons, Okudah spent last season with the Texans but missed more time due to injury. Now with the Vikings on a one-year, $2.35 million deal, he’ll look to prove he can still reach the potential that made him a top draft pick. His ability in coverage will be key to how much he plays, but his tackling and run support give him added value.

Jefferson said the two haven’t brought up their past duels since becoming teammates.

“We don’t talk about that stuff,” he said with a laugh. “He’s on our team now, so we’re good.”

Currently, Okudah is battling Mekhi Blackmon—coming off an ACL injury—for the No. 3 cornerback spot behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. While Jefferson and Okudah haven’t clashed in a regular-season game since 2022, they’ve already gone head-to-head in OTAs and minicamp, with more to come in training camp.

Facing someone as physical as Okudah every day in practice is something Jefferson sees as a major benefit.

“It helps a lot,” he said. “I was just thinking last week about those games against him when he was in Detroit. Going up against him every day in practice, dealing with his physicality and how he tries to deny you space—it’s tough, but it’s the kind of challenge that gets me ready for the season.”