The Minnesota Vikings cornerback room suffered a significant loss with former first-round pick Jeff Okudah‘s placement on the injured reserve list, prompting the team to sign veteran corner Fabian Moreau to the active roster in time for Sunday’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
In concussion protocol for the second time this season, Okudah, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, was placed on injured reserve on Saturday, November 8. He will miss at least the next four games after the Vikings made a bet on getting more out of the former Detroit Lions first-rounder.
Meanwhile, Moreau is slated for his second game as the Vikings’ No. 3 cornerback after spending time on the practice squad this season.
Moreau fared well last week in a winning effort over the Lions. He played 24 of a possible 64 snaps and did not allow a catch on the lone target thrown his way, posting a 73.4 overall grade. Moreau currently ranks 38th among all cornerbacks.
Okudah has struggled this season, ranking 187th of 189 graded cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus with a defensive grade of 32.4.
Vikings’ Visit With Top Free Agent CB Asante Samuel Jr.
GettyFormer Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.’s vist with the Vikings is purely medical with no contract in sight.
Among six teams that hosted Asante Samuel Jr. for a visit last week, the Vikings are desperate to improve their cornerback room.
A 2021 second-round pick, Samuel was ranked the No. 14 overall free agent by ESPN entering the offseason before he underwent a spinal fusion that left his future uncertain. In four years with the Chargers, Samuel posted six interceptions and 26 pass breakups as one of the premier playmakers at his position.
Samuel was cleared for football activities this week. However, he’s not certain to tee the field for the Vikings, or any team for that matter, as he may still have a long road to returning to game shape.
“Without getting too deep into the weeds on the nature of the injury, it is something very serious and very scary that he is coming back from,” Pelissero said of Samuel on “The Power Trip” morning show.
“He had a surgery, and this is not an injury that a lot of doctors thought a surgery was going to be able to fully fix. So it’s not just a matter of his doctors clearing him, it’s a team medical staff clearing him. And when you’re talking about a neck issue, a spine issue, those are really sensitive kinds of topics.
“It doesn’t mean the Vikings or someone else won’t sign him. I would just say that this is not him coming in and meeting the coaching staff and deciding where to go. This is these teams wanting to put him through a battery of tests and make their own determinations,” Pelissero added. “There’s 32 team doctors with 32 degrees of risk tolerance. Everybody is going to make their own judgment on this because it is something pretty significant.”
Is Fabian Moreau an Upgrade Over Jeff Okudah for Vikings Secondary?
On the surface, Moreau seems like he could be an improvement over Okudah in the Vikings secondary.
Okudah has seemed due to be torched at least one play a game for a big gain this season. In four of six games this season, Okudah has surrendered an explosive play of 20 or more yards in coverage and has allowed 15.9 yards per reception this season.
However, Moreau is more susceptible to allowing catches underneath him. In 2024, he allowed seven receptions on 10 targets for 67 yards, two touchdowns and 9.6 yards per catch in coverage.
Okudah has only surrendered one touchdown this season despite the deep conversions against him. Okudah’s physicality lends itself to strong tackling, evidenced by an 83.2 tackling grade, which ranks fifth among all cornerbacks. Okudah has given up just 27 yards after the catch in the entire season.
So while Okudah may give up an explosive play a game, he seems to be stickier in coverage around the line of scrimmage.
It’s a pick your poison for Brian Flores who could use another capable corner. But for now, it may be death by a thousand cuts underneath if teams try to bully Moreau in coverage.
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