Everything You Need to Know About New Vikings CB Mekhi Blackmon

Vikings Draft Pick
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Following a trade down from the 87th pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected USC CB Mekhi Blackmon with the 102nd overall pick as part of their return package. This article is dedicated to giving you everything you need to know about the new Vikings CB.

College Production

Dec 29, 2020; San Antonio, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns receiver Joshua Moore (6) catches a 23-yard touchdown pass against Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (25) in the third quarter during the Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Mekhi Blackmon played five years of college football from 2018-2022. His first four years of college ball were played with the University of Colorado before the cornerback transferred to USC prior to the 2022 season.

During those first four seasons at Colorado, Blackmon was a consistent playmaker for the Buffaloes, but he never truly popped off in the program. In all, he recorded 76 tackles, 2 TFLs, a sack, 12 pass defenses, 2 interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

2022 was a completely different story for Blackmon, though. In his sole season with USC, he nearly doubled his career statistical production from the previous four with Colorado. He finished the 2022 season with 66 tackles, 2 TFLs, 12 pass defenses, 3 interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

An Analysis of Blackmon

NCAA Football: Southern California at UCLA
Nov 19, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Jake Bobo (9) is hit out of bounds by Southern California Trojans defensive back Mekhi Blackmon (6) during the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a reason the Vikings brought Blackmon in on a top-30 visit this spring. He is an aggressive cornerback that thrives in man coverage, and that is precisely the type of player that Brian Flores loves on his defenses.

Blackmon blankets receivers at the line of scrimmage, and despite his smaller stature, he utilizes some terrific toughness and physicality to make things difficult early on in the route.

However, the big knock on the cornerback is that he can have a tendency to overdo things in terms of his aggressiveness. Blackmon gets extremely grabby, and while he was able to get away with it at times in college, it could become a big problem in the NFL if he can’t reel the overaggressive tendencies in.

Regardless, the Vikings desperately needed more depth at the cornerback position, and considering Blackmon is able to play either on the boundary or in the slot, his versatility offers a steady addition to Minnesota’s secondary.

What Others Think of Blackmon

New Vikings CB Mekhi Blackmon
Sep 10, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; USC Trojans defensive lineman Solomon Byrd (51) and defensive back Mekhi Blackmon (6) celebrate during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Now that we’ve put out our thoughts on Blackmon, what are some of the thoughts from other draft analysts around the league? Take a look at what Lance Zierlein of NFL Network had to say of the new Vikings CB:

Aggressive man-cover cornerback whose physical play brings both passes defensed and penalties. Blackmon gives receivers a rough ride over the first five yards, but his extended grabbing will be less tolerated by NFL officials. He’s capable of phasing routes when matching from press, but he doesn’t have the hips to transition smoothly when playing off-man coverage. He’s talented at squeezing the catch space and timing his challenges, but Blackmon’s lack of size and fluidity could limit his pro chances.

And here are the reasons given by The Draft Network to buy into Blackmon as a prospect:

  • High-level football IQ in variety of coverages
  • Good ball skills with the ball in the air
  • Aggressive mentality in coverage to trigger and attack
  • Striker as a tackler 

So, Vikings fans, what do you think? After seeing some of the input from other analysts around the league and our own analysis, do you think Blackmon will find success in Minnesota? Let us know on either Facebook or Twitter.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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