10 Noteworthy Numbers for Vikings Corner Mekhi Blackmon
K. Joudry
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Jordan Addison was the team’s opening-round selection. The young WR has already made a strong impression due to his strong college production and fantastic quotes since coming aboard.
The focus now shifts to Mekhi Blackmon, a corner who (like his WR counterpart) comes from USC. Let’s get into some of the numbers for the most recent addition to the Minnesota Vikings roster.
Mekhi Blackmon in The Numbers
1) Similarly Undersized
The Vikings certainly haven’t made it a priority to add size. Their RD1 receiver comes in at just 6’0″, 175 pounds. The corner stands at 5’11” and 178 pounds. If he is to win, it won’t be because of an overwhelmingly large frame.
2) Pretty Decent Wheels
However, Blackmon did run a 4.47 forty. That’s not vintage Patrick Peterson (4.31) but it’s also not Cameron Dantzler (4.64). The CB will need that speed to help him in an NFL that is loaded with strong receivers.
3) An Older Prospect
The corner is already 24, making him older than most players coming out of college. Now, that doesn’t mean fans need to be scouting retirement homes for the rookie, but it is a factor to keep in mind as his career gets going. When he’s coming off his rookie deal, Blackmon will already be 28.
4) A Fairly Strong Athlete
Per Kent Lee Platte’s RAS Score, Mekhi Blackmon is a pretty strong athlete. He comes in with a 7.39 score, meaning his testing numbers are better than more than 73% of others considered at his position.
5) The Modest Passer Rating
In 2022, Blackmon kept opposing QBs to just a 46.1 passer rating. For reference, Kirk Cousins’ career passer rating sits at 97.8. In other words, Blackmon put together an impressive season.
6) A Long College Career
Blackmon began his college football playing for Colorado. He was there for 4 seasons. Last year, he transferred to USC (another parallel with Addison). The 5 years in college explain his advanced age.
7) Mostly an Outside Corner
With USC, Blackmon played almost exclusively along the outside. He had 805 snaps out wide and only 3 in the slot. Given his size (or lack thereof) it’s notable that he didn’t slide in more. In 2021, though, he did put together 179 slot snaps.
8) College Production
In his final season in college, Blackmon had 3 INTs and 12 PDs. He added 66 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, and 2 TFLs. Not bad.
9) Different Draft Boards
PFF isn’t particularly enthused about the USC corner, putting him down at 184th on their board. Meanwhile, The Draft Network saw fit to put him a fair bit higher: 102nd. Coincidentally, that’s exactly where the Vikings snagged him after trading down.
10) 17 Picks
The final one doesn’t have anything to do with the corner. Instead, it represents how much longer Minnesota’s tortured fanbase will need to wait until their next selection. After going all the way from 23 to 102 without any additions, the powers that be in Minnesota saw it fit to stack picks more closely together. They’ll be on the clock again at 119 (unless the Vikings’ trader GM decides to trade).
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB, Pro Football Reference, and PFF helped with this piece.
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