Vikings Defender Suffers Severe Knee Injury
Minnesota Vikings training camp is officially underway, with the first practice session on Wednesday. Media members were allowed to watch the team go through the drills one day after the remaining players joined the rookies and the early arrivals at TCO Performance Center. The entire team is preparing for the regular season opener on September 8.
Vikings Defender Suffers Severe Knee Injury
As always, there were some highlights published on social media, but perhaps the most significant storyline coming from Eagan, Minnesota on Wednesday was an injury. Sophomore cornerback Mekhi Blackmon suffered an apparent knee injury.
Alec Lewis from The Athletic tweeted during practice: “Vikings CB Mekhi Blackmon just limped back into the locker room. Didn’t look good. Had been down for a while.” He updated the situation moments later: “Am told that it’s a knee injury for Mekhi Blackmon.”
It was a seven vs. seven drill when Blackmon went down. He reportedly stayed down for a few minutes while medical personnel attended to him.
Tom Pelissero reported a few hours later: “Vikings CB Mekhi Blackmon suffered a torn ACL in the first practice of training camp today, per source. Tough blow for Minnesota and Blackmon, who played in 15 games (three starts) as a rookie last season.”
That is an absolutely brutal blow for the Vikings. Blackmon showed enormous potential in his debut season. He earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 71.8, leading all cornerbacks on the team and ranking him second among all rookie cornerbacks.
According to the grading company, the USC product allowed 285 yards in coverage, and 28 of 44 targets were caught. Like all young defensive backs, Blackmon had his ups and downs, but the play was overall positive.
He struggled against tall receivers, especially Tee Higgins, and Courtland Sutton punished him for his size limitations. Both are excellent players, so losing that matchup as a rookie is nothing to be ashamed of. He finished his rookie season with 435 defensive snaps throughout 15 games with three starts, logging 41 tackles and one interception.
There was serious hope that Blackmon could take another step in the right direction. A starting job wasn’t out of the question for the former 102nd-overall pick.
He will miss his second season, leaving the Vikings with a gaping hole in the secondary. It is another gut punch, less than three weeks after Khyree Jackson’s tragic accident.
The Vikings are now down to eight cornerbacks. That includes projected starters Byron Murphy and Shaquill Griffin, as well as last year’s starter Akayleb Evans and 2022 second-rounder Andrew Booth, who are now close to guaranteed a roster spot. Tuesday’s signing of Duke Shelley, a fan favorite from the 2022 season, has suddenly become much more valuable. Undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern, A.J. Green, and practice squad player Jaylin Williams build the depth.
Outside help could now also be an option for the front office. Veteran cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Stephon Gilmore are available on the free agency market, and both share a history with defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Blackmon will now join tight end T.J. Hockenson and special teamer NaJee Thompson on the sidelines. They have both been placed on the PUP list and are unable to participate in practices.
The cornerback turned 25 in March and will be missed when the season starts.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt