In just five days of free agency, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has turned some weaknesses into strengths, at least on paper.
He hired two former Pro Bowl defensive tackles, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, to address the lack of interior pass rush. The offensive line will be improved with Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, two former Colts, starting.
Unlucky Vikings Defender Has a Big Opportunity
The secondary has undergone a ton of change recently, although key free agent CB Byron Murphy Jr. was retained, and safety Harrison Smith has signed his new one-year contract. Cam Bynum is gone, and so are cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau.
That makes four exits but only two arrivals. Special teams ace Tavierre Thomas and Isaiah Rodgers, who was a rotational defender on Philadelphia’s Super Bowl team, have been hired.
Long story short, there will be an internal promotion, and primed for that is third-year corner Mekhi Blackmon. The third-round pick from 2023 missed his entire sophomore season due to a torn ACL suffered in the very first practice of training camp.
In his rookie season, he undoubtedly showed some promise. He was targeted 44 times and allowed 28 catches for 285 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Blackmon also logged eight pass breakups and, when targeted, gave up a passer rating of 87.8. Just for comparison, that’s exactly the rating his college teammate Caleb Williams had in his rookie season.
Blackmon started three of the 15 games he appeared in, playing 435 defensive snaps. He can play in the slot but played most of his snaps on the outside. When he struggled, it was primarily against tall receivers like Tee Higgins and Courtland Sutton, which can be expected for a 5-11 cornerback, especially a rookie who still has a ton to learn.
Regardless, he was on his way to earning a starting spot, but his injury derailed that plan. The Vikings then signed Gilmore and Moreau to fix the unit for the short term.
Minnesota’s cornerback room now looks like this:
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Isaiah Rodgers
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Tavierre Thomas
- Dwight McGlothern
- NaJee Thompson
- Reddy Steward
- Kahlef Hailassie
- Nahshon Wright
- Ambry Thomas
Murphy Jr. is the top corner; Rodgers and Blackmon could compete for the CB2 spot. In nickel, all three will be on the field.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might sign another cornerback or use his first-round draft choice to select a guy like Shavon Revel Jr. or Benjamin Morrison, but for now, Blackmon is a strong candidate for a significant role in Brian Flores’ unit.
He will turn 26 next week.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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