The Minnesota Vikings had the most opportunistic defense in 2024, leading all teams with 33 takeaways. That impressive number was led by an aggressive secondary, with the Vikings recording 24 interceptions. Unfortunately, Minnesota’s secondary will have a different look in 2025 after free agency reshaped the unit.
One position in the defensive backfield that will have a new starter is the cornerback spot. Byron Murphy Jr. is returning as a starter, but the Vikings brought in two veterans to compete for the other starting corner spot. With training camp a few weeks away, Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah are expected to compete for the same starting job.
Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah will battle for the Minnesota Vikings’ starting corner job
Rodgers and Okudah are now in the same spot, but their journeys leading them to similar spots have been different. Okudah was the third-overall pick in the 2020 Draft, but was limited as a rookie with injuries. In his second season, he ruptured his Achilles in Week 1, and has been trying to recapture the promise he entered the league with ever since. After three years in Detroit, he spent the 2023 season with the Atlanta Falcons, and last year with the Houston Texans.
Isaiah Rodgers, on the other hand, was a sixth-round pick in the 2020 Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. After carving out a role for himself as a return specialist, he eventually emerged as a starting corner in his third season. However, he was suspended in 2023 for violating the league’s gambling policy. Rodgers returned in 2024, helping the Philadelphia Eagles win a Super Bowl.
Now, both guys are in Minnesota, hoping to re-establish themselves as starters in this league. However, it’s looking like only one will be able to do so. Teams can never have enough defensive backs, though, so if they both look good in camp, they both could get significant snaps in the season.