His senior year looks really strong at USC.
-----
ESPN (Siefert):
Round 3, No. 102 overall: Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC
My take: There's no doubt the Vikings were in need of cornerback depth. Five of their 2022 cornerbacks have either departed or remain unsigned. But the way this draft shook out, the Vikings only had one opportunity to make a selection in the first 101 picks. They used the first on USC wide receiver Jordan Addison, and then circled back to take Blackmon at No. 102.
Blackmon is one of five cornerbacks on their roster who will be either a rookie, first- or second-year player. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acknowledged there are a lot of "unknowns" about the group, but he has certainly re-stocked the position for new defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Blackmon and Addison were not only college teammates. Both made pre-draft visits to the Vikings' practice facility for a day of interviews and discussions with coaches, scouts and administrators. Adofo-Mensah said that, in his mind, prospects can "fake it" during a 15-minute combine interview -- but not during a full facility visit.
Key stat: Blackmon was a strong tackler for the Trojans last season. He missed only three tackles on 864 snaps in 2022 for a 95.3 tackle rate, the highest in the Pac-12. That'll be an important skill if it can translate at the NFL level, given how often the Vikings are likely to have their cornerbacks in press man coverage.
What’s next: The Vikings' decision to move back from No. 87 to No. 102 in the third round added two additional picks to their Day 3 total. They'll likely look for a developmental quarterback in that group, and still have a need at defensive tackle. But perhaps the most interesting story to track is whether they're able to trade either running back Dalvin Cook or linebacker Za'Darius Smith for third-day picks or future considerations. Both are known to be on the trading block.
Round 4, No. 119 overall (from Detroit)
Round 5, No. 158 overall
Round 5, No. 164 overall (from San Francisco)
Round 6, No. 211 overall (compensatory)
Round 7, No. 222 overall (from Denver via San Francisco)
-----
Watler Football:
Mekhi Blackmon Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell
Mekhi Blackmon, 5-10/182
Cornerback
USC
Strengths:
Good feet
Effective slot cover corner
Runs the route with the receiver
Prevents separation
Quick
Agile; athletic
Loose hips to turn and run with speed receivers
Recoverability
Has ball skills
Not a gambler
Can play off-man coverage
Can play zone coverage
Experienced
Should be able to contribute quickly
Weaknesses:
Limited to slot corner
Undersized
Could struggle with big receivers
Gets boxed out
Receivers make catches over him
Could be picked on in the red zone
Short
Thin
Summary: Even though they are at a disadvantage, there are plenty of small cornerbacks who turn into quality NFL players. Blackmon could easily keep that tradition alive because he looks like a future nickel corner who could be a solid player to line up in the slot. Blackmon played at Colorado for four seasons before transferring to USC. With the Buffaloes, Blackmon did not play much in the 2018-2020 seasons. During 2021, he recorded 41 tackles, an interception and four passes broken up. With the Trojans, Blackmon was very good in his final season of college football, recording 66 tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass breakups. Blackmon then had an excellent week of practice at the Senior Bowl, impressing teams and helping his draft grade.
There is a lot to like about Blackmon as a slot corner. He has quick feet to run the route with receives and keep them from getting separation. When they do gain a step, Blackmon shows a nice burst and skilled recoverability. He has body control and does a nice job of playing the ball. He also possesses impressive ball skills to hit passes away and is a threat to create interceptions. Additionally, Blackmon is a willing tackler who will contribute to run defense. He is a gritty player who finds a way to contribute in both phases.
Obviously, Blackmon faces some limitations because he is short and light for an NFL corner. He played bigger than his measurements at the Senior Bowl, but taking on tall pro wideouts is going to be a problem. Pro teams are lining up big wide receivers in the slot, and that could create a coverage mismatch going against Blackmon. Teams could specifically target Blackmon in the red zone, so he will need to be protected and put in the right situations to be effective. Hence, some teams view him as a backup only and have him graded on Day 3. Others like him more as a potential starting nickel corner and have him projected to Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Player Comparison: Jourdan Lewis. Blackmon reminds me of Lewis (5-10, 188) coming out of Michigan, and they are almost identical in size. Both are smaller slot cornerbacks who can run with receivers. They also face size limitations and can't play on the outside. Lewis was a third-round pick in 2017, and Blackmon could go in that range during the 2023 NFL Draft.
-----
Athletic grade:
102. Minnesota Vikings: Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC
The Vikings entered the draft with only five selections and worked the third round to their favor by trading down and ending up with a quality cornerback in Blackmon (5-11 178). Last season he was a first-team All-Pac-12 corner with 15 passes defensed, three interceptions and 66 tackles. He has good speed (4.47 in the 40) and has decent strength (11 reps of 225 in the bench press) but needs to avoid penalties (five pass interference calls).
But Minnesota needs defensive backs for the No. 31-ranked defense, and Blackmon has the capability to play right away.
Grade: B-
-----
And PFF:
I'm biased as a Utah fan, but if you're going to take a smaller corner anyway, Clark Phillips should be the choice. I guess we'll see how bad my blinders are in a couple years.
