In the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings used the 102nd-overall pick on cornerback Mekhi Blackmon out of USC. While analysts questioned the selection, Minnesota’s talent evaluators and staff held him in high regard, and he has shown flashes of the talent they saw. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in practice on Thursday that could slow his ascent during training camp.
USC primarily used Blackmon as a man-coverage corner. He saw 807 snaps as the wide corner in 2022 and finished with a 90.6-overall PFF grade, compiling 62 tackles, three interceptions, and one forced fumble, dazzling fans with splash plays like the interception below:
Blackmon excels at tracking the ball in the air, a skill he exhibited often during his final collegiate season. Whether intending to break up a pass or steal the ball away from the wide receiver, Blackmon shows excellent ability at timing his jumps, a necessary skill for a smaller corner. As a former receiver, he also has the soft hands required to catch errant passes.
Blackmon also has incredible twitch, with recovery speed that allows him to make up for separation gained by receivers:
Draft analysts knocked Blackmon for his lack of size and less-than-ideal hip speed during his pre-draft process. However, they played with a mentality often found in players larger than his size. PFF’s Sam Monson described Blackmon glowingly:
Blackmon’s game is exceptionally entertaining, and he plays much bigger than he actually is. He could be an absolute steal during the draft.
With a forceful mindset and the ability to stick tight to opposing receivers without being called for interference, Blackmon could have an impact on the Vikings early in the season. Blackmon also is a secure tackler, with a missed tackle rate of only 2.8%, another invaluable trait within a young defense.
As the cornerback room takes shape, the depth chart will look something like this:
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Akayleb Evans
- Andrew Booth Jr.
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Joejuan Williams
Andrew Booth Jr. has struggled to adjust after a year in which injuries plagued him, and Mekhi Blackmon could have an opportunity to take hold of the third cornerback slot. While not as physically gifted as Booth, Blackmon will have a chance to show why he deserves the spot over Booth throughout the preseason.
Blackmon made his capability as a press corner clear during his time at USC. He showed his ability to dominate as an outside corner, joining fifth-overall pick Devon Witherspoon as the only cornerbacks with 85+ PFF grades in zone and man coverage.
However, Blackmon has not been used primarily as an outside corner thus far, totaling 15 of his 26 snaps in the slot for Minnesota. While it hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing, Blackmon has shown glimpses of his potential, with plays like this almost effortless forced incompletion against second-year player Cade Johnson:
Blackmon finished with a 54.2-overall PFF grade in his first preseason game. While he can improve upon that mark, he showed promise. He allowed two receptions on three targets for 28 yards. However, PFF marked him down as allowing a touchdown on a play where he should have received inside help.
Blackmon played soft coverage, and he seemed to do so under the impression that he would have been able to have his assignment jammed across the middle by safety Jay Ward.
Whether it was an instance of miscommunication or simply faulty play, we can chalk it up to acclimation to the speed and intense learning curve of the NFL game.
Blackmon showed the NFL glimpses of what they have to look forward to against Seattle, and he can build on those moments after he recovers from an injury suffered in Thursday’s joint practice against the Titans.
Make no mistake, Blackmon will still take his rookie lumps. However, the progress he has shown already is exciting. Receiving first-team reps as a rookie third-round pick is not common, even for a team with a shaky cornerback room.
With Blackmon further adjusting to the speed of the game and defensive guru Brian Flores’ playbook, he will have every opportunity to succeed. Flores will put the cornerback room in a better position to succeed in 2023, as he’ll send pressure at opposing quarterbacks from every angle. Flores runs a vastly different scheme than Ed Donatell’s “sit back and manage” defense from last year.
Flores will also tailor his defense to his players’ strengths, another important development that will allow Blackmon to play within his comfort as a rookie. Blackmon will see a massive jump in ratings if he can continue his close coverage while passing off assignments and executing scheme technicalities with aplomb.
If the injury proves to be of little significance, the remainder of the preseason can provide invaluable reps for Blackmon’s development and help him prepare for regular season pacing. With slight upticks in communication and route recognition, Blackmon could thrive in 2023.
The best defensive mind the Vikings have employed since Mike Zimmer’s heyday will assist the defense. If Blackmon provides the sticky coverage he is known for, the defense will meaningfully improve in 2023.
