Jeff

Okudah

Darrisaw’s participation status on Friday is not yet known but he did manage to practice in full on Wednesday before being downgraded to limited on Thursday. He could return in Week 3. The Vikings also ruled out LB Andrew Van Ginkel and CB Jeff Okudah. Vikings S Harrison Smith (illness) is questionable to play against the Falcons.

O’Connell said S Harrison Smith (illness) will join Darrisaw in the ramp-up process. Smith has been dealing with some sort of health issue since late August and should not be considered a lock to suit up in Week 2. Darrisaw continues to rehab his ACL and MCL injuries from last year. Vikings LB Blake Cashman and RB Ty Chandler “will miss some time” after suffering injuries in Week 1. Both LB Andrew Van Ginkel and CB Jeff Okudah are in the concussion protocol.

Okudah missed most of the 2024 season with a serious hip injury he sustained in the season opener. He was used as a rotational corner in the final weeks of the regular season and into the postseason. Okudah, 26, has two interceptions and 14 passes defended since entering the league in 2020. In Minnesota, he’ll join a defense graded by Pro Football Focus as last season’s 16th-best coverage unit.

Okudah was activated off IR in early November for the Texans, but was barely part of the defensive game plan. He played 38 snaps against the Chiefs in Week 16, but otherwise his season-high in a game was just 17. He finished with a putrid 29.3 PFF coverage grade, but of course that was a fairly small sample size of just 79 snaps. Okudah has not really shown any better than that in his previous four seasons, sadly. He’d fight for an outside job with the Vikings if signed.

Okudah has been on injured reserve since September 11th after he suffered a hip injury in Week 1. The former first-rounder did not play a defensive snap in his first and only game and will likely serve as added depth for the Texans’ secondary on Monday night against the Cowboys if active.

In addition to Okudah, the Texans also designated LB Jerry Hughes for return. They now have 21 days to activate both players from injured reserve or rule them out for the remainder of the season. Okudah signed a one-year deal with the Texans this offseason after spending all of 2023 with the Falcons. The former first-round pick totaled 44 tackles in 13 games while breaking up three passes last season. Hughes, who has seen limited work in four games this season has only one tackle.

Okudah is officially one-and-done in Atlanta after the Falcons acquired him from the Lions last offseason in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick. A former first-round pick of the Lions in 2020, Okudah played in 13 games for the Falcons last season, totaling 44 tackles and three pass breakups while earning a PFF coverage grade of 54.4. The veteran corner made nine starts but shouldn’t be counted on as a weekly starter at this time.

Also inactive for the Falcons are QB Logan Woodside, LB Nate Landman, OT Kaleb McGary, DL David Onyemata, DL Joe Gaziano, and C Drew Dalman. Okudah’s absence will impact the Falcons secondary, though they get CB A.J. Terrell (concussion) back to boost the defense. Offensive Lineman McGary and Dalman being ruled out also weakens the protection for Desmond Ridder and the offense against a solid Buccaneers defensive line in Week 14.

Per Rapoport, Okudah still needs to get cleared after a pre-game workout in order to play, though that looks like after he practiced in full throughout the week. Okudah has missed the Falcons’ first two games of the year because of the foot issue but now appears ready to return in a revenge game against his former team. If he is able to handle a full allotment of snaps, Okudah should start in his debut as a Falcon.

Okudah missed Week 1 and Week 2 because of the foot issue. After getting in a trio of limited practices this week, he has a shot at suiting up versus the Lions. His return would help the Falcons maintain their improvement as a defense compared to the disaster that was their 2022 season.